My Orphanage
by Scarlet Fever
Summary: Rated M for Graphic Content, including sex, language and violence. Seifer/Zell smutslash. Finished Story!
1. Chapter 1

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My Orphanage

by: Scarlet Fever

One

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"I don't see why you have to side with them at all. They are not our kind."

"They are the same as you or I," said a bored, commanding voice, multi-layered and reverberating through walls and matter.

"They may be classed as Summons like we are." The speaker snorted angrily, his voice also multi-layered and commanding, though with a far different timbre. Both voices were deep, and obviously male, but spoken with different contexts. "Summons...." He hissed. "What a word. A filthy word from filthy humans."

"We've all let humans control us at one time or another. Its part of our nature."

"You are our Lord, and you weaken yourself with them. You're no better than Tiamat... A low class Aeon. You've let yourself become nothing more than a 'Guardian Force', a toy for them."

The great dragon snarled, baring fangs at his companion, wings flapping once in anger. "You dare to speak to me like this, Diablos?!" A wave of energy passed through the room, sending Diablos's scaled black and red body backwards. The demon had to use his own wings to stop from hitting a far wall of the chamber. "I may give you more leave with me than I do some of the others of my court, but that doesn't mean you can speak to me however you wish."

"Of course not," Diablos smoothly answered, sounding both sincere and insincere. "But, I do disagree with you. The human world does not hold friends. Though, I do apologize for mentioning Tiamat's name."

Bahamut just hmph-ed and curled up on the lovely tiled floor, resembling a throne room from lifetimes and millennia long forgotten even by records, a floor covered with expensive silk rugs and throw pillows. The replica of a throne room once in a city ruled by a strong, fighting king of men. A king that wore a crown of dragon's horns and fought against the barbarians from the south with his lance, a king both cruel and just who ruled with an iron fist. "We gave ourselves to the same master," the King murmured, yawning. "So, your high-and-mighty routine lacks credence, Berith."

Diablos knelt among the pillows of royal blue and black and red, long tail swishing across the gleaming floor, wings lightly brushing the blue scales of Bahamut's wings. "A mistake I wish to rectify."

"Keep out of their world," Bahamut said with finality. His dragon body started to shrink, and became that of a handsome, regal man with cropped brown hair and intense onyx eyes. The eyes of a nearly tyrannical king, a king that existed fathomless ages ago. His eyes held warning to the great demon knelt beside him, though Bahamut's human body was dwarfed. The smaller, frailer appearance did nothing to sway the power exuded from the Summon King, Lord of Aeons, Eidolon, Espers, names long forgotten, even by their own kind.

Diablos's black, scaled wings draped over Bahamut's reclining body, and his long, deadly fangs were bared in a snarl as his red, jewelled eyes glowed. "And, if I don't?" The black wings created a canopy around the human body.

"Another thousand years in that lamp wouldn't be pleasant, hmm?"

The demon snarled, wings flapping away. Bahamut's expression never changed, though his back did curl a little, as if he were going to transform. But, he just lay back, calm as only a true king can be. Diablos also shrunk down to a human form, though the expression on his human face showed complete displeasure, as if it were not his choice to revert to a form he'd once possessed before becoming the Dark Messenger. The form of a man with a pretty face that told of faerie or sylph blood mingling with human. A man that had once been a necromancer, an oracle for a king obsessed with the land of the dead, a king that had died at the hands of his beloved necromancer Berith. A man with long, thick and straight hair as black as ink, down past his waist like a curtain of night, with eyes that were black with a ring of blue near the pupil. A man that had once been both oracle and soldier, riding a proud horse with red garb.

Diablos snarled and tried to angrily storm out, but Bahamut caught a pale wrist in one strong hand, a hand that showed a man who'd worked his entire human life. "My warnings are not idle."

"Of course not," was the clipped reply. "My Lord...."

Bahamut ran a hand through the long, luxurious black hair that was cascading down Diablos's shoulder, his fingers lengthening and turning into scaled claws a colour between grey and blue. "I'll be watching you."

"I would hope so." Diablos's black and blue eyes flared as he stood, leaving in a huff. Once out of Bahamut's chambers, he had the power to return to his own realm, which felt a bit like a prison to him. A realm that was like the realm he'd resided in as a human. A flat in a mechanical city all lit up like a star at night, now crumbled into nothing and out of any conceivable memory.

Diablos flopped in a large armchair, looking into runes that he'd used as a human, runes that had been for show. His clairvoyance had all been in his mind, and had nothing to do with runes or stones or crystal balls, though they were amusing bobbles. Black and red wings sprouted from his back, and his eyes turned a gleaming, garnet red. "My dear King, you have no sense of fun." He sneered, hand waving. Some bottles from a shelf floated across the room and sat gently on the table before the former necromancer, now Dark Guardian Force. "Or, no sense of pride." He smiled, teeth lengthening to fangs. "But, I have plenty of both."

"That movie sucked."

"What are you _talking _about? I liked it!"

He snorted. "You just have no taste."

"Yeah, that must be why I hang out with you."

He shoved her lightly, playfully. "Come on. Feels like it's going to rain."

Xera wrapped her coat tighter around herself. "Brrr... that wind is cold."

"Let's walk this way," Gietzen suggested, pulling on some gloves as he and his friend started to walk. "It's more covered. The wind won't be so bad."

Xera made a hesitant noise, her eyes shrewd behind her glasses. "I don't know, Gietz.... That's headed a little too close to Bridgeport Square...." Bridgeport Square was one of the nastiest neighbourhoods in Timber, and had an infamous reputation, as well as the highest crime rate in the city. Now that it was dark out, it was a place sane people didn't wish to go. Especially with all the talk lately of gang activity and drug use.

"We'll skirt right by it if we go past South Passage station. The night train to Winhill will be running, so it will be crowded."

Xera nodded slowly. "Yeah... right, that sounds okay." She smiled then. "Let's go."

"How could you have liked that movie?!" Gietzen asked her as they walked down the sidewalk, some of the movie theatre crowd still around them, but starting to thin out.

"Because it was cool!" She exclaimed. They'd gone to see a movie out of Galbadia called _The Sand Ruby._ It had been about two small armies from non-existent countries searching for something called the Sand Ruby, and getting into a battle for it. "The costumes and cinematography were amazing!"

"But, it was so implausible."

She rolled her eyes. "It was a fantasy movie. It wasn't supposed to be a documentary on the breeding of Abyss Worms in the Galbadian Desert."

He just shook his head. "We should have just went to see Prognosis: Negative."

Xera groaned, for Gietzen kept bringing up that movie, even though she thought it looked like the worst piece of crap ever made. She was about to say something catty to him, but stopped when she saw someone familiar. "Hey, Gietzen." She pointed her finger out from the long sleeves of her coat, shivering because of the cold, blustery wind. "Isn't that....?" She was pointing to a man who was coming out of a hole-in-the-wall shop up the street. She called "Hey, Mr. Emaissyl!"

The man who she was calling to was Mr. Raef Emaissyl, her and Gietzen's boss. He was a tall and extremely quiet, guarded man who owned a weapons shop and smithy in downtown Timber called Archimedes. Xera and Gietzen were cashiers there and dealt with the weapon orders, but Mr. Emaissyl was the blacksmith and forged each weapon by hand.

Raef turned to face them, slow recognition thawing the gaze behind his eyeglasses. He had on a heavy dark blue wool coat lined with Behemoth fur, the hood up over his dark brown hair. "Xera, Gietzen. Nice to see you."

"You, too!" Xera smiled at her handsome boss, though he wasn't biting. Mr. Emaissyl wasn't exactly the most social of men. "A little cold for a walk, though." She looked at the buildings that they were standing in front of, and then noticed they weren't in the nicest of neighbourhoods. "What are you doing out here?"

Raef raised an eyebrow, not really enjoying being questioned. He jerked his head back towards the shop behind him. "They sell some rare items here that I can use at the store."

"Ah." Gietzen smiled pleasantly, but he'd also noticed that they were starting to get into Bridgeport Square. He and Xera had been too wrapped up in their friendly argument to notice.

"There's a trolley stop up there," Raef pointed, his pale eyes starting to water because of the strong, biting winter wind. "It's safer than walking through." Raef went on ahead of them, crossing his arms over his chest, the bag of items hanging at his hip. Xera and Gietzen followed him, but he didn't pay them much attention. Though Raef was in Timber every day for work, he would rather be out in the woods. He lived in Beech River, which wasn't actually a town. It was just what they called the area around the Beech River that drained into Mandy Bay. It was a peaceful area, nestled deep into the woods outside the city. And, Raef liked it. It was far away from... everything. From all the machinery of Timber, and the claustrophobic throngs of people. His employees continued to talk about _The Sand Ruby_ as they waited for the trolley.

Xera and Gietzen's conversation trailed off when they noticed some mean looking people milling around. Their hackles started to rise, especially when five or six of them started to meander towards the trolley stop. "Blackballers," Xera muttered under her breath, moving a little closer to Gietzen. Blackballers was a term used to describe a disturbing trend that was sweeping Timber, and even moving into Galbadia Garden and towards Deling City. It was a term that described users of a new drug called Blackball. It came in a small pill that looked like a black orb, and it was highly addictive. The poorer and more industrial areas of the city, which were many, were becoming infested with the crazy addicts of the drug. It was said that the drug gave the feeling of ultimate power, but it was also said that one hallucinated and heard voices when taking it, and that the desire for more was stronger than anyone could handle, thus making an addict very dangerous. They would do anything for the money to get more.

Xera wasn't sure if the people heading towards the trolley stop were indeed Blackballers, but in this neighbourhood, it was a safe bet. They all stood under the trolley shelter; Xera, Gietzen and Raef shoulder to shoulder with this small group of three men and one woman. Even though it was very cold, they looked sweaty. A sure sign of a Blackballer. The drug used up so much energy that it made one sweat as if they were exercising.

"Hey," the woman said to Xera, standing directly in front of her, too close for comfort. The woman was taller than Xera, but she hunched over, so tired and weary looking. It was hard to place her age. "Do... do you have any change? Just for a warm cup of coffee?"

"No," she said stiffly. And, under her breath, she muttered "you wouldn't use it for coffee, anyway."

"Come on, man!" The woman exclaimed, starting to get a little angry. "Just one gil?"

"No," Xera repeated firmly.

The woman, with a desperate look in her eyes, reached out a quick hand, grabbing Xera by the wrist. "Just one gil... I want to hear him again. I want to hear him again. I want to hear him again." She started babbling over and over. Xera tried to wrestle her wrist out of the woman's grip, but Blackballing must have given her more strength than usual. Though Xera wasn't the 'damsel in distress' type, Gietzen tried to intervene, since Xera really was being overpowered, and she was starting to look a little scared. But, two of the woman's friends stepped forward, one of them pulling out a knife.

"Just give us some gil!" One of the men whined, the whites of his eyes plainly visible. He was panting loudly, and the hand holding the knife was shaking. He stepped towards Gietzen, slicing at the air. "Give it to us!!" He moved to jump Gietzen and just physically take the money from him, both the frightened people trying to back up, but finding two more of the crazed gang behind them. Gietzen slammed his eyes shut, waiting to be stabbed to death, but he didn't feel it come. The one with the knife yelled "Hey!", and Gietzen opened his eyes, seeing Raef holding the man's wrist.

"Let me go!" The Blackballer shouted, though it sounded like Raef was hurting him. Raef, without a word, twisted the man's arm back. The night was filled with the shouts of the Blackballers and the crack of bone. Raef took the knife, his hand far steadier with the blade. He sliced out when one of the gang tried to jump him, cutting across the man's jacket. His hand came out, catching the man under the chin, sending him sprawling on his back. Another man, a tall and gangly man who looked too pale and unhealthy, tried to jump on Raef's back, but the tall brunette reached back, using the momentum of the attacker's weight, throwing him to the ground in a shoulder toss.

Xera was still struggling with the woman, but the two of them and Gietzen were all watching Raef take on five Blackballers by himself. He did it with grace, like he'd done this sort of thing before. He also never looked out of control, never looked worried. He thrust a long arm out with grace, slamming one of them against a telephone pole, knocking him out. The fourth tried to jump him, but Raef tackled him to the ground, deftly stabbing the knife through the Blackballer's hand, down into the pavement. The woman that was still trying to search Xera for her wallet stood up, starting to run away. But, Raef roundhoused her, and she wasn't fast enough to get out of the reach of his long leg. She went flying down the sidewalk, landing in a crumpled pile a few meters away. No police came to check on all the noise, because police never showed up in Bridgeport Square, unless it was to cart off bodies in the safety of daylight.

Xera and Gietzen huddled together, looking at their employer with shock. He was normally so quiet and rather serene; they hadn't known he had that sort of fight in him. And, it wasn't that he just kicked those guys' asses. He did it with the hand of a trained professional. Mr. Emaissyl looked down at them, cocking his head. For a second, Xera and Gietzen were a little afraid of him. Raef straightened his eyeglasses on his face, nodding at them. "See you at work tomorrow." He turned on his heel and started walking up the sidewalk, away from Bridgeport Square, not bothering to wait for the trolley. He cast a long shadow on the buildings he passed, the billowing of his coat making his shadow appear to have large wings. The two friends looked at each other, not sure what to say, not sure what to feel. The trolley came only a few minutes later, and Xera and Gietzen both got on quickly, both their bodies shaking from more than just the cold. Nobody paid much attention to the bodies on the ground. None were dead, but they weren't going anywhere for a while, either.

As the trolley moved towards the safer, nicer parts of town, Xera looked over at Gietzen, keeping her gloved hands balled into fists so they wouldn't start shaking. She opened her mouth to say something, but just couldn't find the words. Gietzen looked back at her with shock as well, both just glad to be going home.

"See ya later, Instructor!" called Ryu as he started to duck out of class.

"Hold it, Cadet!" Instructor Dincht called, catching Ryu by the back of his cadet jacket. Zell went over to the door and closed it, leaving just him and the student in the sparring room alone. "I saw you use that cheap shot, Ryu."

"But...."

Zell cocked his head. "But, what?"

"Come on, you know what it's like in the heat of battle....!" Ryu lamely said, trying to make excuses for attacking a much weaker and younger opponent from behind.

"I also know what it's like to be young and stupid."

Ryu looked at his feet, shuffling them. It was true that Zell knew what it was like to be in the heat of battle, though it felt like his last real battle had happened too long ago. He felt rusted, his body not like the well-oiled machine it had been before all his duties seemed to revolve around his martial arts class at Balamb Garden. He didn't only teach hand-to-hand combat, but also taught more practical angles like anatomy of the human body, to make better use of your own muscles, and to know the muscles of your opponent. He often worked with the Curative Studies Instructor because the practical side of his course often overlapped with Instructor Sobek's classes.

"You'll have detention with the Disciplinary Committee, but you'll also be docked 10 points on next week's physical exam."

"Instructor...!" Ryu exclaimed. "That's unfair!"

"Unfair?" Zell echoed. He'd always hated being the hand of discipline. It didn't come easily to him, but it was something he'd had to work on over the years. Ryu was only a year away from taking his SeeD exams, and it made Zell think of when he'd been that young, that brash. But, that had been long ago. It had been 10 years since he'd started teaching this class, and he was now 27, so much older in so many ways. "Maybe Junior Cadet Asha will think you were unfair to her?"

Ryu was shamed into silence, and dismissed when Zell moved away from the closed door. When he was alone, Zell sighed, looking around at the mess his students had left behind. He started straightening things out, feeling bored. He loved teaching Martial Arts, but he wanted more. He wanted to adventure again. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gone on a mission. Cid, Squall and Quistis always seemed to send others. Cid was still Headmaster, but Squall and Quistis helped out. A lot. After straightening up, Zell started to shadowbox, stretching out his muscles, wishing he was fighting something more than air.

After he'd worked out for an hour, his body covered in sweat, Zell sat on the floor, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. He was too old now to wear them spiked up.

"You still got it there, bud."

Zell looked up, smiling as Selphie chucked a towel at him. He caught it mid-air, mopping at the sweat on his face and muscular shoulders. "What's up?" He asked, standing up. Selphie was wearing her SeeD uniform. Selphie often left Garden on official visits, which meant official dress. But, her tie was undone, and her jacket was unbuttoned, showing a white tank top underneath. She still had her youthful, flipped-out hairdo. She was also 27, but was still so full of life, so bouncy and bubbly, but without being a total ditz and spaz.

"Quistis is looking for you, so I offered to find you." She came in the room, doing a playful karate kick and chop, flashing a little bit of underwear. It was only Zell in the room, so she didn't care about modesty. He'd probably seen brief flashes of her underwear the hundreds of times she'd worn the short skirt of her uniform, or one of the million short skirts she owned.

"Why?" He asked her, pushing some floor mats back into place.

Selphie shrugged her slight shoulders. "Dunno. But, I _do_ know that the White SeeD ship docked at Balamb Harbour, so Edea might be here."

"How do you always know this stuff?" Zell asked her as she continued to make up martial arts moves, saying things like 'advance upon me... if you dare', but then moving her mouth, mocking all the badly dubbed kung-fu movies that had come out of Deling City years before either of them were born.

"It's my job, stupid!" She gave him a wink. "Maybe Matron just came to see Cid, but it might be serious, especially if she took the ship instead of just waiting for the train that connects from Timber." While Cid still worked and lived at Garden, Edea was back in Centra, still running her orphanage. In the past ten years since Time Compression, a small township had been formed on the Centra continent around Edea's house, and it had slowly grown. It was still small, not quite as big as Winhill, but it was growing. Just like every town and city was growing. Timber'd had the biggest boom in population, since Esthar and Centra both had trains going in and out of there now. It was probably as big as Deling City now, and in a few more years, would rival Esthar in size. "So, make yourself presentable, and let's shake it."

Zell took off his sweaty shirt and put on a fresh black one with long sleeves. He then started to put back on his SeeD uniform, shooing Selphie out of the room so he could change his pants. He came out, and Selphie was pacing up and down the hall. "Finally!" She exclaimed, melodramatic. They walked through Garden, heading to the central elevator.

"Hopefully it's something interesting," Zell murmured, crossing his arms, still as fidgety as he'd always been.

"Yeah, this place needs some excitement." They rode to the second floor. Cid's office had moved to this floor after the bridge of Garden had destroyed his old one. Squall and Quistis had offices up here too, while Zell, Selphie, Irvine and Rinoa's offices were all in the basement. While Rinoa wasn't SeeD, she did have a job in Garden. Squall had wanted his now wife nearby, but the jobs she could do at Garden were limited, since most required a SeeD rank, or were given to Junior Cadets or SeeD in training to boost their transcripts. But, she'd become Garden's archivist and cultural historian. She transcribed historical documents, as well as looked at modern trends of the peoples of the world as well as the geography around them. It had a little to do with the Intelligence Bureau, but more just about the world, and less about intel for missions. It fit her well because she found it interesting and easy, and it was also stuff that the SeeDs were too busy to do.

Selphie and Zell walked right past Quistis's secretary, not bothering to wait to be ushered in. Quistis was expecting them, and even if she wasn't, it was Selphie and Zell, so it was okay.

"Hey, babe!" Selphie exclaimed, sailing into the room. "Oh..." She immediately sobered up when she saw there was an audience, and everyone looked so serious. "Sorry."

"Not a problem." Quistis smiled diplomatically, waving her hand to usher Selphie and Zell to sit. They did. Cid, Xu, Squall and Edea were all in the room with Quistis, and there was also a video feed set up. Laguna was shown on one block, and a man unfamiliar to them on the other one.

"What's going on?" Zell asked, folding his hands on the table.

"SeeD Captains Dincht and Tilmitt, you are acquainted with President Loire of Esthar. This gentleman is Chief Jerome Ammatt of the Timber Police Force."

Zell nodded silently. Being called SeeD Captains meant this was serious.

Quistis flicked on an LED screen, where everyone in the room could see it, as well as Laguna and Chief Ammatt on the conference call. "This is a map of Timber in full." Quistis looked to Edea. "I've just gotten some information from Edea Kramer about some sort of magical disturbance in Timber."

"It's hard to explain," Edea said nervously. "I just feel that someone is doing something powerful there, but secretly."

"This itself wouldn't be evidence enough to get SeeD involved, but Captain Ammatt has informed us about a disturbing new trend in the city that could have something to do with this magical disturbance. I've also contacted President Loire because of the sorcery research that Esthar can do." Quistis nodded to Laguna, who nodded back, smiling at everyone in the room, as jovial as usual. Quistis hit a button on her prompter, and another screen came up beside the map of Timber. "This is a product called Tricyclademi-phenyl. The street name is Blackball. It's a new drug that is creeping up in the lower class areas of Timber. It has been sold in small pockets in other cities, but Timber is where it's most prominent, especially the area known as Bridgeport Square." An area of Industrial Timber on the map turned red to draw attention to it. "This doesn't necessarily indicate that the product is being manufactured there. It's just where the most users seem to be based."

Zell looked around the room briefly as Quistis explained everything. Squall was as silent as usual, but he was paying attention. Xu was looking at some papers, for she'd already heard this information.

"Because Timber is the hub city of the world, Tricyclademi-phenyl could be manufactured anywhere, and being brought in by train or boat. With the population boom, it's hard to track any nefarious agents that may have set up camp there. But, because of Mrs. Kramer's sense of magical presence there, we can assume that the drug's production is someway steeped with magic, thus making tracking a little easier, since not everyone in the world knows real magic."

"It may not be real magic," Laguna pointed out on the screen. "People can use items all the time to get the same effect as magical properties, and we all know that items can be found everywhere, and can be used by everyone."

Quistis nodded. "That's correct. Now, Chief Ammatt had contacted SeeD a month prior to today about the Blackball issue, and we've been working on some sort of agreement. We will be drawing up a contract with the Timber Police Squad, sending SeeD in to examine this problem before it grows to a global problem." The blonde SeeD hit a button and a contract came up on the screen, the words big enough that everyone could read it. "This is the contract that has been drawn up. Chief Ammatt has already signed it, and now we just need SeeD to sign and go." Quistis then looked at Zell and Selphie. "We have nominated Captains Dincht and Tilmitt for immediate placement."

Zell furrowed his brow. "That's all fine and good, but we have jobs...." He trailed off. Going on a mission would be wonderful, but he did have duties here.

"Substitutes will be issued for that." Quistis looked to Xu. "Xu?"

Xu rose to her feet, looking at Zell and Selphie. She handed them both packets, which they ripped open. "Inside are your copies of the contract, which you may read before signing. Also, there is information about where you'll be staying in the city. We don't want this to be a grandiose affair, so you'll be renting apartments in downtown Timber. We don't want to draw attention to the fact that you're SeeD. You'll be leaving seizure and arrest to the Timber Police, but since they do have other duties, this will be a recon mission in conjunction with what they've done already. Crime rate in Bridgeport Square, the hardest hit area of the city, is rampant, so your SeeD skills will come in handy. We decided to send top ranking, because this sort of danger level would be too high for a SeeD fresh off graduation." Xu stopped to bring up more information on the drug. "You also have information on the side effects of taking the drug, as well as what we know about its makeup, which isn't much. Selphie, this is where your skills for Intelligence will come in handy. Zell, you will be..."

"Hired muscle," he finished, already signing his contract. Anticipation was rising in Zell. He couldn't wait to feel useful again.

"Exactly." Xu touched her nose with her index finger. "You will brief yourselves on all this information before shipping out for Timber tomorrow. SeeD Rank 4 Kinneas will also be joining you in Timber on a later date, for he is already out on assignment."

Zell could see that this news made Selphie's day even better. Irvine had been sent away to Trabia for some fact-finding mission about some new breeds of monsters, as well as a gang of nomads that were blocking trade routs to Trabia Garden.

"And, before leaving, you will also have a meeting with Agent Heartilly-Leonhart, which is scheduled for as soon as we break here. She will give you information on the population of Timber over the past few years, as well as business trends and trade routes. It will give you insight to people you may want to pay special attention to."

Selphie nodded, also signing her contract. "I notice that it's open-ended. Are we to be in Timber until this Blackball thing is resolved?"

"That's the plan," Quistis interjected.

"Now," Cid said, standing up. "We will send you constant briefings through conference calls. All the equipment will be set up for you at your residences by a Garden tech team. President Loire and my wife will continue to brief us on happenings."

Chief Ammatt then spoke. "I would just like to thank Garden for their help on this growing problem. I have duties to attend to, so I will look forward to seeing both Captains Dincht and Tilmitt at Timber Police Headquarters when they arrive in the city." He smiled, and severed his connection.

"I should go, too." Laguna winked at everyone. "Don't be a stranger, son. And, I'll get that dumbass Odine to look into magical item properties."

"Prezident Loire... I am in ze room!" A squeaky voice cried from the background. Laguna rolled his eyes and cut off his connection.

Squall's cheeks coloured slightly with embarrassment. He was the one who spoke next. "These are just release forms to say that you're taking a Junctioned GF away from Garden property. Standard."

Zell looked at his form, and saw that they were releasing Ifrit to him. It was a good choice, since out of all the 'gang', he had the highest compatibility with the Summon of Fire. Selphie was sort of a Jill-of-all-Trades when it came to GF use, so her assigned Summon would be more random. Selphie held up her sheet to show Zell. She would be taking Cactuar, which wasn't as impressive a GF as Ifrit, but still a competent and strong one. Selphie seemed pleased with the choice.

"Upon release," Squall continued, sounding like his speech had been rehearsed for hours. "You may change GF abilities to what you think will suit you best. We have all the items necessary in store." He nodded a couple times, as if satisfied with his blurb.

"Okay. Good luck guys." Quistis then smiled, some of her cold and professional veneer fading, becoming more friendly.

"Matron!" Selphie called as the group broke apart. "What sort of magical power are you feeling?"

"I wish I could be more specific, dear. I've left one of my nurses in charge at the orphanage, and I'm going to head to Esthar and work with Laguna and Odine. Perhaps things will become clearer with some meditation and research."

"I will also be going to Esthar," Cid pointed out. "It will be good to set up some sort of SeeD influence there since we'll be doing some research. Squall and Quistis can handle things here."

Selphie then started talking to Matron about the orphanage, so Zell went across the room to where Squall was looking through some documents, typically anti-social. "Squall?"

"Hmm?" He didn't bother looking up, but Zell didn't take it personally. He supposed he could consider himself Squall's best friend. "I just want to say... um, goodbye you know? We might be in Timber for a long time."

Squall looked up, his scarred brow creasing a little. "It won't be forever," he said blandly, without emotion. "You and Selphie should get down to see Rinoa."

"Right." Zell clapped Squall on the shoulder, turning to leave, all his documents in his hand.

"Oh...!" Squall called out, handing Zell a card. "You and Selphie can get weapon upgrades before leaving. Whatever you need."

"Thanks," Zell said. That was Squall's way of saying goodbye. Zell waved his arm to get Selphie's attention. They both hugged Matron and went down to the basement.

"I guess we got our excitement," Selphie said gleefully as they went across the painted floor that had once led to NORG.

"I can't wait to leave," Zell murmured. "To just travel again...."

"You going to say goodbye to Ma first?"

"Of course." Zell winked at her as they stepped into Rinoa's office. She'd made the windowless room cheery with lots of plants and a fountain in the corner. The shelves were exploding with scrolls, books and documents.

"Hey!" Rinoa exclaimed, standing up from behind her desk, tucking some black hair behind her ear. "Did the meeting go well?"

"Very." Zell and Selphie sat down in the chairs across from Rinoa. She had a bunch of books and stuff on her desk, all open.

"I'm gonna miss you guys, you know?" She sniffed playfully, then smiled brightly. "It kind of reminds me of the contract that you two and Squall signed for the Timber Owls. That you didn't know when you were going to go home."

"Hopefully this one doesn't turn into fighting an evil sorceress," Selphie pointed out. "Though, I'd like to give that lady a zap or two." She balled her small hands into fists and then popped Zell in the shoulder.

"Ow," Zell exclaimed. "Your ring in sharp."

Rinoa laughed, turning to a book. "Okay, Timber... Timber. It's changed a lot since I've last been there."

"It's gotten a lot bigger," Selphie pointed out.

"The population has more than doubled. In size because of the industrial warehouses and all the train related infrastructure, it's larger than Deling, though Deling still has a little more in terms of population, because of the congestion of downtown there, and the fact that they have many more skyscraper apartment buildings." Rinoa cocked her head, her hair falling over her shoulder again. She tucked it behind her ears once more. "The population..." She scanned the page with her finger. "Well, it's a lot of blue collar, which is probably why Blackball is so successful there. But, lately there have been a lot of rich businessmen coming in, taking advantage of the boom. Companies from Deling, Esthar and Dollet have set up offices there because of the ease of travel. Esthar and Galbadia have put a lot of money into maintaining the rails." She unfurled a map of the city. "Okay, I'll make some copies of this for you guys." She jabbed the paper. "Bridgeport Square is the place you'll be most interested in. Crime there is brutal. Hell, it was brutal when I lived there years ago, so I can only imagine how scary it is now. The problem is that Bridgeport is kind of central to a lot of different areas." She stuck her tongue out and smiled. "I'm not used to talking this much at work."

"Squall's rubbing off on you," Zell teased, though there was truth in the barb.

"He is." She rolled her almond-shaped eyes, turning back to the map. "See, Bridgeport Square isn't the heart of the city, but it borders all the major centres. Downtown is still rather untouched, but all the expansion has been around the outer edges. Westphal goes around the back end of Bridgeport, along the waterfront. Westphal is where all the new money is, where all the big mansions and richy rich people live. You two will be set up in...." She scanned the map. "South Timber, I believe."

Selphie looked at her sheet. "Yeah."

"It's a nice area, bordering Westphal. So, you'll get some rich people there who aren't rich enough to live in the mansions. But, it also borders Bridgeport, so when you get closer, you'll notice that the houses get a little scummier looking. Not all Bridgeport is poor drug dealers. It's also a big industrial area, so Blackball creates a big problem with the work-force. In South Timber, you'll kind of be close to everything, including Timber Police Headquarters."

"You know a lot about this," Selphie said with wonder.

Rinoa smiled. "Thanks. I really like this job. It's better than just sitting at home, barefoot in the kitchen waiting for Squall to come home every day." She finished explaining about Timber, pointing out some places of interest to them. "Oh, I know that Squall probably mentioned that you can upgrade weapons before leaving. Well, you might want to, but wanna suggestion?"

"Sure....?" Zell cocked his head.

"Well, because of the machinists in Timber, they also have good weapons shops. The old one from when I lived there before, by the Hotel, consolidated with a larger firm. They're the ones that outfit Garden Cadets with all their weapons, and have a contract with us. You could just do it there, since it's the same people."

"Thanks." Zell stood up. "Can you make those copies and send them to our rooms. We should probably get to briefing ourselves, and we still have to pick up our Summons."

Rinoa nodded. "Sure thing!"

Selphie quickly hugged Rinoa. "Don't let Squall get too serious." She skipped out of the room, Zell following behind.

"Zell!" Rinoa called. "Hang on a second." She walked towards him, standing close. Her voice lowered. "I know Squall doesn't show it, but he'll miss you. I mean, you are his best friend, after all."

Zell put a friendly hand on Rinoa's shoulder. "Yeah, I know. But, thanks anyway." Zell left Rinoa's office and went to his own, which was just down the hall, shutting the door behind him. He sat behind his desk. Zell didn't use his office all that often. Only when he had to make up tests and then grade them. He put his feet up on the desk and started to read about Blackball, but he got bored quickly. His pale eyes wandered to an older issue of Combat King that he'd left on the desk. His hand went for it, and he started flipping through the pages. He knew this specific issue inside and out. It was the one that showed a new move called Lucky Slots, developed by a female martial artist out of Dollet named Lockheart. But, it was also the issue where it showed the magazine's models showing off the new move. Combat King had hired martial artists to do pictorial spreads on each of the moves given, to protect themselves from some dumb kid doing the move wrong, and thus getting sued when said dumb kid injured themself. Zell knew the move off by heart, but he still looked at the pictures, at the shirtless models, muscles glistening with sweat and looking so masculine....

Zell put a hand to his forehead, his office suddenly feeling very warm. Zell's eyes travelled over the way the model's small shorts accentuated the lines of his groin, how the sweat made the fabric cling, showing which way he'd dressed that day. Zell turned the magazine upside down on the desk, leaning back in the chair and closing his eyes. Nobody in Garden knew that Zell liked men. No, not just liked them. Loved them. Garden and SeeD didn't always look favourably on that sort of thing, so Zell had kept quiet. He'd also dated a few girls to keep up the charade, but it just made him tired, so for the past 8 or so years, he'd been celibate in the eyes of his friends and comrades. Of course, they didn't know about the few one night stands he'd had while in Balamb Town for the evening. But, one night stands weren't what Zell wanted. He wanted a boyfriend, a _lover._ Someone who would be around for a long time. He wanted to be with someone who loved him, like how Squall had Rinoa, and how Selphie had Irvine. Even if Garden turned into a floating gay bar, Zell just.... wasn't ready to come out. It was one of those things where he needed something to give him that push, that strength to do it. He hadn't told anyone, not Selphie, not his mother.... He just didn't have the words yet. Zell wondered if he ever would. He was getting near 30. He had to stop being such a coward about it. But, then there was that whole problem of SeeD's 'anti-promiscuity' laws, and through some loopholes, homosexuality fell into that rule.

Zell shook his head. He needed to concentrate on something besides the defined abs of page 139. He started to read up on Blackball again. It sounded like a very nefarious drug. He was just getting into the heart of reading when the Garden's mail girl came in, delivering his letters. She quickly left, a shy girl, but also a busy one.

Zell chucked some unimportant notices to the side, stopping when he saw the new issue of Combat King. Well, crap. Just when he was getting immersed in work. But, of course Zell opened the magazine. There were a few hot guys showing new stretching exercises that Zell read about, finding interesting for more reasons than ripped male bodies. But, this issue wasn't as hot as some of the other ones, because there were also moves geared more for female martial artists, and thus had the female models. He flipped through the thing, noticing a one-page ad spread that caught his attention. It was a simple ad, but it was the address that made him notice. It was in Timber. An independent weapon's shop called Archimedes Weaponry and Smithy. There were some testimonials from some famous people in the weapons industry, even one from Martine of Galbadia Garden. Zell wrote down the address: 2843 Lord Chadwick Avenue, Timber- Alraune. TI-08725. Alraune was a section of downtown Timber. There was also a telephone number. Zell liked to keep on top of weaponry issues, so maybe this was something to look into, especially because Vidilic Arms had fallen in Zell's opinion of late. They liked to cut corners to save money, and while their weapons were useable, they were impersonal, not customized for the user.

"Hey, Zell!" called Rinoa's voice from the other side of the door. Zell snapped the Combat King shut, as if he were looking at porn. Because he got so aroused by it, he often forgot that it was a perfectly innocent magazine, especially for a martial artist like himself.

"I just heard some news you might be interested in!"

"Oh?"

"The day after you and Selphie get to Timber, there's going to be a charity fundraiser that's open to the public. It's at an art gallery in Westphal, hosted by some guy who owns a fabric warehouse. Count Aka-Manah, or something. I already told Selphie about it. You two should go. It would give you some good insight to the social....err, fabric." She laughed with a wink.

"_Count _Aka-Manah? Oooh, la-di-dah."

"He's apparently very wealthy, and handsome from what I've heard......" Rinoa had her hands clasped in front of her chest.

Zell cleared his throat. "You _are _a married woman, remember?"

"I'm sure Squall thinks about pretty girls that aren't me."

Zell snorted. "I'm sure he doesn't."

"Eh, you're probably right." She waved a hand. "Anyway.... he's done a lot to build up Westphal and the other areas of Timber. He's even tried to clean up Bridgeport Square, which is a daunting task. A real pillar of the community."

Zell nodded. "We'll check it out."

Rinoa smiled her charming smile. "Great. Don't forget to pick up Ifrit."

"Shit." Zell watched as Rinoa left. He'd been so wrapped up in his sexual fantasies that he had forgotten. He got up, trying to shake the image of sweaty, beautiful and masculine men from his head, and focus on the mission that was before him.

Edea stared out at the ocean as it whizzed by. They were riding the Rainbow Bridge train to Esthar. Cid was seated beside her, reading over some documents while his wife was a million miles away.

"Dear?" Cid asked gently, putting a hand over one of her own. "Thinking about the orphanage?"

She smiled sadly, looking at her husband. "No. I know the children will be okay."

"Have you felt anything new?" He asked quietly, love and concern filling his blue eyes, flecked with peridot green.

Edea shook her head. "No, love. I wish I could be more specific. What if I've sent everyone on a wild goose chase?"

"I doubt it," Cid replied. "You're always right about these sort of things."

"It just feels.... like a very powerful magician, with magic that.... it feels very old and powerful. And dark. This is a black magician, through and through. And, a dangerous one. This power feels even darker than.... _hers _did."

"It must be bad, because you seem very worried." Cid stroked the side of his wife's face. "But, I have a feeling that it isn't only that."

Edea pursed her darkly painted lips. "You do know me well, don't you?" She looked out at the ocean again, feeling sadness in her heart, an emptiness. "It's been 10 years."

"Since Ultimecia?"

"Since we saw him, Cid."

Cid's face clouded, and he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I don't think Seifer wants to be found, Edea."

"We should have told him the truth."

"I know, but.... how could we have so soon after Ultimecia possessed him through you? He couldn't stand the sight of you because of it."

"It isn't me he hates. It's Ultimecia. And, she'll never go away. I have her power, but.... she stains everyone she touches. Her resonance will never leave him, and it must be killing him."

Cid's eyes narrowed, and he looked at his wife's profile. "You don't think....?"

"What?" She asked, slowly cocking her head, black hair cascading down her shoulder. "That he is what I'm feeling? No, I don't believe that for a second. What I'm feeling is old. Very old."

"What could possibly be that old, though? If it was a Sorceress, we would have known about her. That much power can't hide forever."

"No, it can't. That's what's so vexing." Edea looked out the window again, and the endless ocean became the rocky coast of the Esthar continent, and then into the buildings of the technological and futuristic city. At the train station, Laguna was there to meet them personally. He greeted the couple with his usual big smile and endearing charm. He gave Cid a firm handshake and hug, and kissed both Edea's cheeks.

"Thanks for coming so fast," Laguna said as they got in a car. "I've got that little troll working on research, so hopefully he'll have something within the next day or two."

"I feel like I've created a big fuss over nothing, Laguna."

He snorted ungracefully. "You're always right about these things, Edea."

"That's what I said." Cid playfully tapped the Sorceress's shoulder.

"Besides," Laguna said as Esthar whizzed by them en route to the Presidential Palace. "Everyone was already aware of the growing problems in Timber. This just sort of gave everyone that kick in the ass we needed to really pay attention to it."

Edea just murmured under her breath, looking at the city as Laguna and Cid started discussing how they would set up base of operations. She started thinking about Seifer again, like she did often. She knew where all here other 'children' were, under Cid's care at Garden, but Seifer... he'd vanished after Time Compression. Edea had tried to find him, to make some sort of peace with him, but it had been fruitless. She wanted to apologize for ever letting Ultimecia touch him in any way, and she just wanted to see him again. Also, she and Cid wanted to tell him the truth.... the truth that they should have told him years ago, but didn't to protect him. Adel may have been restrained in Space by Laguna, but that didn't mean she was gone forever, and Edea hadn't wanted to take that chance.

"We're here..." Laguna said quietly, tapping Edea's knee to get her attention.

"Oh." She laughed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I went off somewhere else."

"Faeries can do that..." Laguna mused happily.

"Faeries?" Edea echoed as Cid went on ahead of them, speaking to a few SeeD who had been stationed in the city for a few months already.

"Oh, that's just what I called it when I got a strange feeling. Like when Elle was using her powers. Ah, she'll be helping you, if that's okay."

"That's fine."

"I don't think you could say no to her anyway. She's a stubborn little brat sometimes." He winked, and it made Edea laugh.

"I'm guessing she picked _none _of that up from you?"

"No, no... of course not." He put his hands in his pockets, smiling. "She's.... great. I just wish Squall and I could get that close."

"Give him time," the dark-haired woman mused, her mind drifting off again.

"You're thinking about Seifer, aren't you?" Laguna asked, the playfulness gone out of his voice.

"How did you know?"

"Because I _know._" He put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. "I've been in your place, Edea. You know that. That's why you confided in me."

Edea nodded sadly, covering Laguna's hand with her own, feeling close to him. It was true. Laguna did indeed know how Edea, and also Cid, felt. He'd gone through it with Squall, and that's why Edea had gone to him for advice. Advice about the son that she'd lied to her entire life. Edea and Cid hadn't told anyone about it other than Laguna. That Seifer was their son. Edea had done it to protect him from Adel. Even back then, Edea had been a powerful witch, and Adel would have loved to have gotten her hand on the great Sorceress Edea's child, even if he weren't a girl. And, even with Adel gone, she wasn't dead, so Edea had still kept quiet. At least when Seifer had gone to Garden, he'd been under Cid's care, so she'd always known how he was doing, if he was okay.... And, it had worked out well that Seifer more resembled Edea's mother with his pale hair and green eyes, so it wasn't obvious that he was Cid and Edea's child.

She had wanted to tell him the truth during Time Compression, but she'd hurt him so much that it didn't seem the time. And, then he'd disappeared. Edea's heart ached with worry and concern for him, the only child she could ever have. It had been a difficult pregnancy, so after Seifer was born, Edea hadn't been able to bear any more children. She wanted to see Seifer so badly, and yet... part of her worry was that it was best that she never saw him again, because of how Ultimecia had touched all their lives. Whenever Edea was around Rinoa, she felt a humming in the core of her, where all her power was. It tingled her limbs and made her body feel warm. It was because of Ultimecia's hand, of the stain it had left on Rinoa's soul. Edea wondered if the same would be true for Seifer.

"Yes," Edea said lowly. "And, you've been wonderful to help."

"I hate to see such a pretty lady in pain." Laguna comically puffed out his chest.

She shook her head, crossing her arms over her stomach. "Well, I should be concentrating on tasks at hand." She bit her lip, and resolved to keep her mind in the present.

"Zell and Selphie are both tenacious. Watch them solve this problem by tomorrow morning." Laguna flipped some of his greying hair over his shoulder.

Edea frowned. "I wish it were that simple, Laguna. If what I'm feeling is correct, than there's more going on in Timber than just a few poor souls taking drugs."

"I hope you're wrong," he whispered as they walked into the grand Presidential Palace.

"I hope I am, too."

"This place isn't so bad," Selphie mused, flopping down on a couch. "At least it's furnished."

Zell looked around. Selphie had her own apartment, and Zell had one next door in the large, old abandoned warehouse that had been furnished into living quarters. There would be a door connecting them, good for when they had to contact Garden.

"It's okay," Zell said. He did appreciate that it was furnished, but a lot of the furniture didn't match. "I'm not to wild about the bed, though."

"Why?" Selphie asked, winking. "It's not like it's too small for you, shorty."

Zell put his hands on his hips. "The mattress is too hard, and I like a lot of room, okay?"

She laughed, jumping up. "I can't wait until Irvine sees it."

"What, my bed?" Zell asked.

"No, stupid!" She swatted him, looking out the window. "This place. We've got a nice view... kind of like an ant farm." They both looked out the window to see downtown in the distance, the people moving with purpose, trains coming and going. "Oh!" Selphie exclaimed, going to her fridge. She pulled out a bottle of grape juice. "I thought up a new name for my band!"

Zell rolled his eyes, going towards the door that connected Selphie's apartment to his. "A: you change the name of your band almost every day, and B: _you don't have a band_!"

"Well, I don't see how that's relevant."

Zell opened the door and started to leave.

"Don't you want to know what the name is?" Selphie asked, mock-pleading.

"Okay, okay. What?"

"Atomic Orgasm."

"It sucks. Though, it's better than Selphie and the Selphiecats."

She stuck out her tongue. "Don't forget about that thing this evening with the _Count_." She made a hissing noise, baring her teeth and raising her arms up. "Tonight I suck your blood!"

Zell just closed the door, going into his apartment. They had leave to paint and redecorate if they wished, and Zell really thought he would do that. The pattern of the wallpaper was something that an old lady would like, and the couch was all lumpy. And, the carpet was threadbare in places. When Zell had stopped by his mother's house to say goodbye, he'd picked up a few mail-order catalogues for Timber. His mother loved mail-order, and had catalogues from all over the world. He started looking through it, seeing a bed that he really liked. He called and placed an order, as well as for some sheets and drapes. Zell's home decorating skills were something that only a few people knew about. His mother, and unfortunately Squall and Selphie because of when they'd been in his room when a possessed Edea along with Seifer, Fujin and Raijin had commandeered Balamb Town.

By the time he'd done this, it was time to start to get ready. It wasn't a black tie affair, but still a nice one. So, Zell would be stuck wearing a suit. Zell's taste in clothes had mellowed as he'd aged, but he still didn't like wearing a suit and tie. He took a shower and got dressed, wrestling with his tie for ten minutes. He also put on his fighting gloves. He never left the house without them. Part habit, part paranoia.

"You clean up nice!" Selphie exclaimed. She said that every time she saw Zell dressed up.

"You should have knocked," he muttered, straightening the navy silk tie. "I could have been undressed in here."

"I know." She waggled her eyebrows, standing in his line of view. "Well?"

"What?"

"How do I look?" She posed on the spot.

"Okay, I guess." She looked rather lovely, wearing a pale blue dress with an old fashioned, strapless bodice. The skirt billowed out in pale layers of chiffon and silk, and she wore strappy powder blue shoes to match.

She smacked him with her purse. "You wouldn't know a sexy lady if she bit you on the ass."

Zell just smirked, Selphie's words hitting closer to the truth than she was aware.

They took a trolley into Westphal, towards the Forest Tear Art Museum. As they got closer, more expensive cars started to appear, as well as people dressed in expensive clothing. Selphie looped her arm through Zell's as they climbed the steps to the front doors. There were men in tuxedos handing out leaflets and further in, handing out flutes of champagne. "Pretend you're my date, Zell."

He just grunted, taking a glass of champagne. He already felt uncomfortable and wanted to go back to his new apartment and make it his own. He wanted to unpack the few belongings he'd brought with him. He wanted to put up new wallpaper, go food shopping, and do all those things that could make just a place to sleep an actual home. In typical Selphie fashion, she started conversing with strangers as if she'd known them for years. Zell just wandered away, looking at the art and sculpture. There were some really nice works from all over the world, and Zell appreciated them enough that it didn't make the entire night a bust. He paid careful attention to a portrait of some man on a huge horse in a battlefield. He was holding a large lance, looking regal and victorious. He was exceedingly handsome, wearing a crown of horns. There was something hypnotic about it.

"Do you enjoy this painting?" A man asked over Zell's shoulder, his voice carrying an accent that Zell couldn't place. "I'm rather fond of it myself."

Zell turned to face the man who was speaking to him. A tall man with long black hair and a very attractive face. Not just attractive. Beautiful. Pretty, even. His hair wasn't just black. It was the purest colour of night, and his body was long and lean, full of grace. Though he was exceedingly attractive, he didn't arouse Zell. This pretty man just wasn't Zell's type, but there was something about him that Zell found... strange. Almost like they'd met before. It wasn't an entirely pleasant feeling.

"Who is the man?" Zell asked, keeping his eyes shrewdly on the pretty man's face.

He shrugged, his eyes black as his hair, but there was a shockingly icy ring of blue around the pupil. But, Zell got the impression that he knew. "Who can say? A King of old, perhaps." He smiled, baring straight white teeth. "Do you like the gallery?"

"I guess." Zell wasn't sure if he was being hit on, for this man's voice sounded flirty, and yet... menacing at the same time.

"I'm glad. I'm Daeva Aka-Manah."

"Oh, the Count."

His grin widened, showing amusement. "Yes. Do I... know you from somewhere?" He seemed amused by his own question. "I get this... _feeling _from you."

"No...." Zell trailed off. "We've never met."

Daeva cocked a dark eyebrow. "Well, we've met now." His black and blue eyes moved across the room, to where Selphie was approaching. Her purposeful stride faltered a little under the Count's gaze. "You have a lovely date."

"Oh, thank you...." Selphie murmured, taking the compliment gracefully, almost shyly. He wondered if she felt that same strangeness about Count Aka-Manah.

Daeva introduced himself to her, and he kissed the back of her hand. Selphie smiled, her eyes never leaving Daeva's face.

"I feel the same..." He elegantly waved his hand. "Lovely familiarity with you. Do you feel it to?"

"No," Selphie said, blushing a little. "I think I'd remember someone like you."

Zell couldn't help but roll his eyes a little. Selphie wasn't the sort of woman to get this flustered around a man, so the blonde couldn't understand why she was acting so... girlish.

"Have you ever been to one of my functions before?"

"We're new in town," Zell murmured. He kind of had a familiar feeling about the King in the painting, too. It was almost like he would jump alive, and his horse would gallop right into the room.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to mingle with the other guests." Daeva bowed to them, the crowd of well-dressed people enveloping him.

Selphie cocked her head, standing beside Zell in front of the painting of the King on the horse. "He's very handsome."

"Yeah," Zell echoed, though it was without feeling.

Selphie looked at him. "You aren't socializing you know? You're acting like Squall."

"I hate these kind of things."

"Well, while you're off by yourself talking to sexy rich men, I've been getting a feel for things here. It's interesting to hear people talk about Bridgeport Square."

Zell snorted. "These people, Selphie? Please... they're all rich snobs." He put his empty champagne flute on a tray. "I'm leaving."

"What?" She asked, blinking at him. "We just got here, Zell." Her voice lowered. "And, it's part of our mission..."

"I know." He started walking to the door. "I'm going to go wander around the city for a while. Why don't you stay here and make chit-chat?"

"Zell!" She huffed. But, he just kept leaving, wanting to be out of that stuffy place with its stuffy people and the almost creepy feeling he got from Daeva Aka-Manah. There was something familiar about him, and a little unsettling. It had seemed on one hand that Daeva had been flirting with him, but on the other hand, that he was being predatory, like a cat playing with a mouse. Or, maybe Zell was just so removed from men flirting with each other that he didn't even react properly to it anymore. He rubbed his forehead, huffing. Zell removed his tie and loosened his shirt, untucking it from his pants. He walked along the streets of the Westphal district of Timber, hedging towards where it bordered the infamous Bridgeport Square. It was still daytime, but Zell could see why people found it a little foreboding. The buildings were all tall and stout, like hulking creatures on the skyline. Everything also had an industrial feel. The housing looked okay, though. But, perhaps that was because of its nearness to this more wealthy area of the city.

The blonde martial artist wasn't particularly afraid, and knew he could take care of himself, so he started to walk along the streets of Bridgeport Square. Getting more towards the heart of it, the buildings started to get shabbier, and Zell felt the dead eyes of homeless watching him from the dark crevices of alleys. It was really quite unfortunate, that some people in the city, like Aka-Manah, could be so rich, and yet there was all this depression and poverty here. Zell kept walking, moving away from the center of the Square, finding himself in a more commercial area. There were a few taller buildings, but most of the cafes, shops and various other businesses like lawyers and insurance people all had their offices running out of modified old houses. Zell scratched the tattooed side of his face as he found himself not sure where he was. He looked up at the street names, just continuing to walk. Wandering through Timber like this was really giving him a feel for the city. When he found himself at a trolley stop, he looked at the map on the side of the shelter. He was in the Alraune section of town. That jogged his memory. "Alraune.... Alraune," he mused to himself. "Ah, that weapon's place." As he'd walked, the sky had started to cloud over. It looked like rain. He'd probably have to pick up a trolley to South Timber.

A girl who was waiting for a streetcar looked at him as if he were crazy for talking to himself. Zell smiled sheepishly and looked at the map again. The smithy had been on... Lord something street. He found it on the map. Lord Chadwick Street. So, Zell started off again, stopping at an item store on the way. He decided to look to see what they had. Since in their briefing, it had been mentioned that someone could have used the magical properties of items to synthesize Blackball, maybe this was a good place to start.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" A pleasant clerk asked, hands folded at the small of his back.

"Just looking right now, thanks."

The clerk nodded and went behind the desk again. Zell looked at some Dragon Skins, remembering a time when any clerk in the world, or most people for that matter, would have recognized his face as one of the SeeD who helped right Time Compression. They had been celebrities, famous. But, people had short memories, and now Zell never got recognized for much. Maybe that's why Daeva had wondered if they'd met before. Maybe he'd remembered Zell from all those years ago. It felt like a lifetime to him. He'd just been a child then.

Zell's attention was caught by some Steel Orbs for sale. He bought a small case of 5. He was sure that these were just plain items, but because of what form Blackball was in, this was a good start, though he was sure everyone had already immediately gone that route. But, they hadn't had SeeD training in items and alchemy. Zell decided that looking at these would do until he was settled in enough to actually delve into the world of Bridgeport Square, and find out everything about Blackballing. He bought the items and continued to walk, stopping again when he saw a place that sold lamps. One in the window caught his eye, a minimalist metal one, so he purchased it. It would look nice with his new bed. It was small, so he could easily carry it in the bag they gave him. Zell chucked the Steel Orbs in with the lamp and kept walking, finally finding Archimedes Weapon and Smithy. It had a nice wooden door that actually had a bell on it, pleasantly chiming when Zell went in. Along with the sign telling the hours, there was also a small yet prominent warning on the door. "Warning: Will Not Sell To Customers Without A Valid Weapons Permit And ID." Zell smiled at the bell on the door and the way it creaked. It felt like a shop that would be in Balamb Town. Inside, the shop was two levels, the second level being basically a border around the top one, so the clerk could see up there, too. Shelves lined the wall, a catwalk winding around the outer perimeter of the store, making the ceiling very high. There were many swords, guns and other such weapons on display on both floors, but there were also shelves of neatly displayed items, as well as shelves and racks of magazines and books, all relating to weapons, items or martial arts studies. Though, Zell also noticed a common interest rack. There were accessories that had to do with weapons like cases and gun oils and metal polish for swords.

"Good afternoon!" The clerk behind the desk called pleasantly. She wore spectacles, and had been straightening bullets which were in a glass case behind the register. Her nametag said Xera. "How's it going?"

"Fine," Zell answered. He noticed that there were a few items on the shelves that he was unfamiliar with. He went over to the cash, where the young woman was looking at him with curiosity. "I was looking to get my weapon upgraded."

"Okay. What sort of weapon?"

Zell held out his hands.

Xera the clerk eyed his gloves. "Nice." She looked at him seriously for a moment. "I'll need to see your weapons permit and a valid ID."

"Sure." Zell dug around for his wallet, showing his permit and his SeeD Identification.

Xera looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Wow, a SeeD? Are you sure you aren't looking for Vidilic Arms? I know that they have a contract with the Gardens."

"I know," Zell answered, casually leaning on the counter. There was an orange tree in the corner near the window that gave off a pleasant smell. "I wanted to come here instead."

"We don't really deal with SeeD contract, though. It's more one-on-one weapon development."

"That's perfect." Zell waved his hand. "Do you do the alterations?"

"No," she said with a snort. "Unless you want me to screw it up. I just run the register. Our boss does all that stuff. Because it's all done by hand instead of the way Vidilic does it, you might have to wait until morning to get them back."

Zell shrugged. "I have extras. I've heard good things about this place."

Xera smiled. "Okay, I'll just need some information from you...." She started to type some things into the computer register. "Oh, since you're a martial artist, do you want some Xiphias Balm? Mr. Emaissyl swears by it."

"That your boss?" Zell asked.

"Yeah. You get a free one with your weapon upgrade. You know about it?"

"Yeah, and that would be nice." Xiphias Balm was a cream that warmed up on contact with the skin, made from the glands of the Xiphias swordfish, as well as ground up fire crystals. It worked wonders on sore and pulled muscles.

"Okay..." She took Zell's ID and started to type some stuff in. "What sort do you do?"

"Huh?"

"What style do you fight in?" Xera asked.

"Kickboxing mostly. Though I've picked up a few techniques from other styles."

Xera typed it in, drumming her fingers against her hip as she waited for the screen to finish loading. She then started examining Zell's gloves, typing in the ingredients that were used to make it.

"What type does your boss do?" Zell asked, interested. "You said he used Xiphias Balm?"

Xera smiled sheepishly. "I don't really know. He's never brought it up. He's kind of quiet."

Zell cocked his head as she continued to look at his gloves.

"Are these veins in the Dragon Skin... energy crystals?"

"Yeah," Zell answered. "Say, can I ask you something?"

"Uh, okay?" Xera looked away from the screen.

"What do you know about Bridgeport Square?"

Xera's face darkened. "Oh. I thought you were going to ask me for a date or something." She laughed, but it was a bark. "I know that I almost got mugged there last week."

"Really? Why?"

"Because it's a shit-hole. Some Blackballer wanted money."

"Blackballing..." Zell trailed off. "What do you know about it?"

"What, is this for a mission or something?"

"Just curious," he answered.

"It's not like I know a bunch about it. But, it's been in all the papers recently. Super addictive. The people go crazy for it, you know? I think they hear voices or something."

"Hmmmm."

"And, da-da.... da-da," Xera muttered under her breath, typing in more stuff. "Okay, what we can do is add some stretched crystal fangs into the knuckles for some more hardness."

"Crystal fang?" Zell echoed. "I've never heard of it."

Xera smiled sheepishly. "It's exclusive to us, at least for now. It comes from a rock toad that lives in deep caves around Northern Galbadia. Very rare."

"What are the properties?"

Xera came out from behind the counter, going down one of the item aisles. She pulled out a small case, opening it. "Touch."

Zell picked up one of the fangs, which seemed strange to be in a toad. It was diamond hard.

"When it's melted, it retains a lot of flexibility. We can put some fresh Dragon Skin, too. How would you feel about uncleaned skin? The other day, Mr. Emaissyl came back with some Ruby Dragon skins."

"Actually, that would be great. And, go with the Crystal Fangs."

"And, to vein the skin, you can either have Energy Crystals, or Star Fragments."

"Energy Crystals. I've had good luck with them."

Xera nodded, going back to the computer. She entered some more stuff. The bell rang on the door as another customer came in. He was wearing a hooded black jacket hiding most of his face. It was dripping with water. Zell looked out the window, seeing that it had indeed started raining.

"Oh, Mr. Emaissyl. Good timing!"

Raef Emaissyl took his hood off, shaking some water out of his chocolate brown hair. He also took off his glasses, which were spotted with water. "Oh?" He asked blandly. He'd just gotten back from the Winhill area, getting some more items for weapon forging. He wiped his glasses, putting them back on, looking at the customer with Xera.

Zell's eyes widened, and his lips parted. He wondered if he'd stepped off the streets of Timber and into a parallel universe. Zell wasn't seeing brown hair and glasses. He was seeing blonde hair and a cruel smirk from years ago.

"This is my boss," Xera said. "Raef Emaissyl."

Raef felt like he'd taken a blow to the solar plexus, seeing a face that was familiar to him, a face from a past he'd been trying to forget about. "Zell...." He trailed off, caught completely off-guard. The store started to feel hot, and Raef had to breathe heavier to bring oxygen into his lungs.

Zell just shook his head, looking at his old classmate and bully, Seifer Almasy. "What are you doing here...?" He asked, voice choked out.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"It seems that you two know each other," Xera said, either not noticing the tension in the air, or not caring. "I'd always wondered if you'd gone to Garden, Mr. Emaissyl. Especially after last week."

Seifer, now known as Raef, jerked his head quickly, looking at Xera. "Why don't you take a lunch break?" He asked in a way that was anything but a question.

"Ummmm, okay. What about his order....?" Xera looked over to Zell.

"I'll deal with it."

"Sure...."

Zell looked at Seifer, completely nailed to the ground. Neither man said anything, nor moved as Xera collected her coat and umbrella and went out into the town.

"What are you doing here?" Seifer demanded, finding some composure, his voice coming out calmer than he was feeling.

"I came to get my weapon upgraded," Zell muttered, completely shocked. "You own this place?" He asked, a little suspicious.

"Yes."

"W-what's with the name change?"

Seifer sneered a little. "What do you think?" He went behind the counter, opening a door there. Zell could see a large office. Seifer hung his coat up, back very straight.

Zell watched Seifer's movements, how this was the same man that he'd hated and been picked on by all those years ago. Seifer did look older in the decade since then, but his face... nothing had changed about it, though the hair and glasses did make him look a little different. His hair was still closely cropped to his head, and he still had his typical frown. "Everyone thought you died."

Seifer laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, Chicken-Wuss."

Zell frowned at his old, hated nickname. "I guess you haven't changed."

Seifer's expression changed a little, showing something that Zell couldn't read. That expression was regret. Zell couldn't have been further from the truth. So much had changed in Seifer's life that he resented Zell coming into the store and causing his old and new lives to collide. He'd changed his name, changed his appearance just to escape what he'd made of his past life. He'd changed his name just to survive, and now he didn't know if he could face Seifer Almasy again. The public hatred of that name had died off years ago, but the memory of death threats and hot spit landing on his cheek still seared Seifer's memories. He may have been Raef now, but he still knew he was Seifer, and he would never forget.

"I suppose you're here for a mission of some sort?" Seifer asked coldly, leaning against the door, looking acutely at the shorter blonde. "Squall sending you out for a few errands?" Seifer said Squall's name with distant scorn.

Zell shrugged. "Something like that." He stared at Seifer as Seifer stared back at him. Zell felt sudden shame growing in him, because though this was someone who'd caused him so much pain in the past, Zell found himself staring at the way Seifer's shirt, which was damp from the rain, plastered itself to his chest. His muscular and masculine chest. He shook his head, concentrating on Seifer's familiar face. "Last week...." The tattooed blonde mused.

Seifer just raised his eyebrows.

"Last week, your clerk said she was almost mugged in Bridgeport Square, and that she thought you were in SeeD. Why?"

"What, do you think that I'm callous enough to let one of my employees be killed by some fucking drug addicts?"

Zell caught the deep anger and bitterness in Seifer's voice. "Why, you know something about Blackballing?"

Seifer's peridot eyes flared. "Oh, what? Is that what Squall the Great sent you to do? To find out about Timber's little drug problem?"

"I guess you have all the answers."

The tall brunette, formerly blonde, crossed his arms over his chest. "So, you still want your weapon upgraded or not?"

Zell hesitated, which made Seifer's annoyance deepen. "It's not like I'll give you germs or something."

"Fine," Zell said quietly. "I mean, you do have items that even I've never seen."

Seifer made a sarcastic face. "You can pick them up in the morning."

Zell just started to leave, but he stopped when Seifer called his name. "Zell, wait."

He frowned. "What?"

"You, um...." Seifer suddenly looked a little nervous. "You don't need to tell anyone you saw me, right?"

The tattooed martial artist's pale eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"Please," Seifer said quietly, his nervousness turning into desperation. "Please don't tell anyone. Don't tell anyone from Garden you saw me here." His eyes pleaded with Zell. "I'll even work on your gloves for free. Just.... forget you saw me."

Zell opened his mouth to ask why, but he thought of the facts. Seifer had disappeared for a decade, nowhere to be found. Seifer now was known by the name of Raef Emaissyl. Seifer had dyed his hair and gotten glasses, and.... Zell just finally noticed that the scar was gone from his face, the scar that perpendicularly matched Squall's. But, no more. His brow was smooth and clear.

"Okay," Zell muttered. "But, you better do a good job on my gloves." Zell opened the door, the happy bell chiming as he walked out of the store into the rain. Zell made a run for the closest trolley shelter, his emotions conflicted. He knew he should probably say something about seeing Seifer, at least to Selphie. But, how could he when the fright and desperation in Seifer's eyes had been so genuine? And, it definitely wasn't like Seifer to beg Zell for a favour. And, it wasn't even Seifer's request that had the short blonde so conflicted. It was that he'd met with his former enemy, the man who'd made his childhood so rough, and yet... Zell felt more ill about his meeting with Daeva Aka-Manah.

When Zell finally got back to his new apartment, he was dripping from the rain, and Selphie had returned from Daeva's little party.

"Where were you?" She asked, coming through the connector door when she heard him come in.

Zell pulled off his jacket and tie, tossing them on a chair, already wanting to straighten them out. Mess... it made him shudder. "Just exploring." He held up his bag. "I got a new lamp. And, some Steel Orbs."

"Oh, because they could be what the manufacturers are using?"

"Yeah," he answered distantly, thinking of the look on Seifer's face when they'd seen each other again for the first time in 10 years.

"Hey!" Selphie exclaimed, noticing Zell's bare hands. "What happened to your gloves?"

"I'm getting them upgraded," he answered, not looking Selphie in the eyes. She'd be able to see a lie there. "So, how did the rest of the party go?"

"Meh." She shrugged. Selphie had changed from her pretty powder blue dress into some pink flannel pyjamas with yellow stars on them. Each star had a cute face. "Didn't really learn all that much. But, I did get some names as to owners of warehouses and companies that are in our target area, so we can do background checks on them."

"Including the Count?" Zell asked darkly, opening the fridge and pulling out a beer. "Want one?"

"No thanks." Selphie frowned a little. "He seems nice. He wouldn't have anything to do with Blackball."

"Nice?" Zell snorted. "This isn't like you."

"What do you mean?" Selphie asked defensively.

"Didn't he seem... strange to you?"

Selphie shrugged. "Not really. I felt like I knew him from somewhere, though."

"Hmmm." Zell took a long drink of beer. _Don't tell anyone from Garden you saw me here._

"Zell?" Selphie asked. "Something wrong?"

"Nah," he answered, picking up his wet tie and shirt. "Just a little tired. Having to get used to the time zone, I guess."

"Yeah." She yawned. "I'm kind of tired, too. What do you want to do tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow night, I'm thinking we should go to Bridgeport Square. Maybe spend all day there."

"Okay." She mockingly saluted him. "Night."

He just watched her leave, wondering if he was doing the right thing about keeping Seifer's whereabouts a secret.


	2. Chapter 2

****

Two

It was very early when Zell started stirring. But, he hadn't actually been able to really fall asleep. His mind had been too preoccupied with the likes of Daeva Aka-Manah, and Raef Emaissyl/Seifer Almasy. And, there was also the fact that Zell couldn't just forget he'd seen his former classmate. After all, his gloves were in Seifer's hands, and he needed them. He kind of missed them, actually. He and Selphie were going to set into Bridgeport this morning, so he thought he'd go pick up his gloves before she got going, since she'd probably want to come to the store if she was up.

__

Hey, what do I care? Zell asked himself. Why should it bother him if Selphie wanted to go to Archimedes, and just happen to see Seifer? But, Zell had promised. Even if it was Seifer, Zell didn't like to go back on his word. And, there was also the fact that he was getting a free weapons upgrade out of it. Zell got dressed in his workout sweats, and decided to jog to Alraune. It was a nice day, smelling fresh after the rain from the evening and night before. It was still very early, and most of the stores hadn't opened, also very few cars on the streets. Zell wondered if Seifer's store would even be open. Oh well, at least he was getting a good workout from it. And, it was also giving him time to think.

Seifer hadn't been the only reason that Zell had found it hard to sleep. He'd heard distant voices in his head, and felt a pull at the core of him. Ifrit. When someone was used to junctioning a GF, they just didn't hear the GF anymore, and were only distantly aware of them. For someone who had never junctioned a Summon before, it was quite the overwhelming experience. Zell had just wanted to separate himself from the GF for a while, at least until Ifrit settled down a little. But, seeing as how they were on SeeD assignment, that wasn't really an option. Perhaps it was just because Zell hadn't junctioned the Fire Beast in quite some time, so they were getting used to each other once more.

Zell came down Lord Chadwick Avenue, the buildings starting to look a little familiar to him. He came to the facade of Archimedes, and saw that the shop was closed, except that there was movement inside, signs of life. Zell felt suddenly, and a little stupidly, nervous. Why was he nervous? It was only Seifer. _Yeah, the same Seifer that used to pick on you and made you miserable._ Zell rapped on the frame of the door gently, his hands feeling naked without his gloves.

Seifer opened the door, looking a little tired, and Zell wanted to fucking kick himself when he couldn't help but noticed Seifer's tousled attractiveness, his utterly male sexiness. _Jesus man, what are you thinking?!_

"Very prompt, Chicken-Wuss." Seifer stared coldly down at the smaller man. "How unlike you."

Zell felt like stamping his foot and yelling at Seifer, but he calmed himself. "And, you getting up early just to see me in person? How unlike _you._"

"Don't flatter yourself," Seifer grunted with a scowl. "Who says I got up early?" He left the question at that, pushing the door open to allow Zell entry into the store. The truth of the matter was that Seifer hadn't gone to bed yet. He'd immediately gone to work on Zell's gloves, but he'd also worried. Seifer had never been a man, at least in his past, to get himself all worked up with worry, but he had been. He'd been worried that Zell would have run straight to Squall and spilt the beans. But, there was no SeeD onslaught, and there was no Squall softly knocking at the shop's door with a quiet smile of victory on his rather feminine lips. When Zell hesitated, Seifer snapped "are you coming in or not?!"

Zell made a face, coming into the store, having to duck a little under Seifer's arm. Once the door was closed, the gloves were immediately chucked at him, and the tattooed blonde had to act quickly to catch them. He glared at Seifer for a few moments, but it turned into a thoughtful gaze when he saw something in Seifer's peridot eyes change. Zell noticed that Seifer was watching his face intently, his scowl only thinly hiding a look of..... eagerness, hopefulness. Zell ran a bunch of nasty comments through his mind, but he came up with none when he actually paid attention to his new gloves. They felt light and familiar like his old ones, but he could also feel the strength in the Ruby Dragon skins. The blood red scales glinted in the lights of the store, shimmering with the mixture of Crystal Fangs put in them. Zell put the gloves on, and they felt like home, as if his old gloves had never touched any hands other than his own. Though they felt old and familiar, Zell could feel the new strength in them, the power. Zell knew quality weapons when he touched him, and anything Vidilic Arms had made couldn't come close to these gloves that so wonderfully encased his hands.

"Well?" Seifer asked. His voice was dull, but inside, he was hopeful. With each of his customers, he thought of how he would feel if someone had modified Hyperion on him, and done less than a perfect job. And, if he'd done a shoddy job on the gloves, Zell could just tell everyone at Garden anyway. On one hand, Seifer hated lying, but he was too used to it now, and on the other hand.... he didn't want his old life to come back, memories of his failure at Garden... memories of _Her._ He tried not to show his hopefulness, but the way Zell was staring at him, Seifer didn't think he was being very successful. The look in Zell's eyes wasn't one that Seifer was used to. He knew Zell, but it was a Zell Dincht from 10 years ago that he knew. This Zell was older, more mature, more thoughtful.

"How much?" Zell asked. He couldn't accept such beautiful weapons without paying for them. His mother would smack him for bad manners if he did. Zell was taken aback by the horror briefly displayed on Seifer's face. But, that handsome face relaxed to a somewhat hostile mask again.

"What do you mean? I told you.... You keep up your end of our bargain, and the gloves are free."

"I cannot accept these gloves without paying you, Seifer."

The now brunette pursed his lips. It had been a long time since anyone other than Fujin had called him Seifer. And, even she only did it when they were alone. And, no man in ten years had called him by his given name.... "I told you," Seifer replied stiffly. "Free of charge."

"These are too nice for me to just take without paying you. I'd feel like I was stealing."

"So... you like them?"

"I do," Zell whispered. "They're.... perfect."

"Well then, the compliment is payment enough." Seifer walked away from the conversation, going into his office. "You can let yourself out." He just wanted Zell to leave. That familiar tattooed face brought back so many memories that Seifer had been trying to leave in the past, right with his name.

Zell was left alone in the store as Seifer closed the office door. Silently, he dug into his pocket and pulled out a small stack of bills, leaving 400 gil on the counter by the computer register. He left the store, jogging back towards his new apartment, his new gloves so comfortable that he barely noticed they were there, that is until he looked at the scaled surface. Zell knew for a fact that Ruby Dragon skin was hard to work with, and also very hard to come by. He may have felt very disturbed about Seifer, but Zell had no problem praising Seifer's work. It was a weaponries masterpiece.

When Zell arrived back home, Selphie was already up and puttering around, still in her pyjamas.

"You're up early," she mused with a yawn, standing guard by the coffee machine, waiting for it to finish. She impatiently shifted her weight from one foot to another, the smell of the brew filling her kitchen. Zell sat down on the couch and started to catch his breath, putting the back of his hand to his forehead, feeling the Ruby Dragon scales against his skin. They felt very smooth compared to other dragon scales, more like metal armour that encased a knight instead of rough sandpaper. With the gloves this close to his face, he could smell the leather lining, but something else, too. Seifer. These gloves had repeatedly run through Seifer's hands, and now had the tall blonde's (_brunette! _) scent engrained in it.

"Woooowww!" Selphie exclaimed, plopping down beside her friend on the couch, grabbing his wrist. "Are these your new gloves?" She examined them closely. "Is this Ruby Dragon skin?"

Zell just nodded, both physically and emotionally tired.

"These look _awesome_. How do they hold up?"

"Haven't tried them yet. I just picked them up."

"Wow, I'm surprised Vidilic made something this custom for you. It must have cost a fucking fortune."

"I didn't get it done with Vidilic."

"Really?" Selphie raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you get it done, then?"

Zell shrugged, standing up. The quality of the gloves made him feel even more loyal to his word about keeping Seifer's secret. "Just this place downtown. What time do you want to go to Bridgeport?"

Selphie's jade eyes were narrowed, but she shrugged. "Just give me an hour or so to get ready."

"Okay." Zell went to his own apartment, and had a shower. He washed away the sweat from his jog, but he couldn't wash away his thoughts so easily. His thoughts of Daeva Aka-Manah, and his thoughts of Seifer. The thoughts of Zell's old classmate were far more prominent. Thoughts of how the old Seifer was mingled with this new one that Zell couldn't really figure out. Thoughts of how scared he seemed to be, discovered by his past, thoughts of how attractive he looked, hair mussed up and pale green eyes bright behind his eyeglasses.... how he looked in eyeglasses. Thoughts like this made Zell's hands trail down his own body, and they became less about Seifer, and more just about men. Zell felt a tugging at his gut, at his heart and at his genitals, and it wasn't just a sexual pull. God, Zell was lonely. Thinking about a man's body, a man's voice talking to him as lovers do, a man's arms holding him, well... the thoughts were nice, but they weren't _real._ Zell wanted this companionship more than he wanted the sex. He wanted someone he could talk to, he wanted someone to fall asleep with every night, and wanted someone who knew all of him. Someone that he didn't have to lie to, since he had to lie to everyone else about this part of his life. Zell had always been a social person, and he'd always been surrounded by many friends, but had never had a real relationship. And, he wanted one so fucking badly.

Zell lazily jerked off in the shower, but he didn't orgasm with much force. It wasn't a sexual need that he needed filled, anyway. He started to get ready, dressing in casual clothes that bordered on grungy. Had to fit in with the Bridgeport Square crowd, after all. He covered his pale blonde hair with a black knit toque, and popped his pill into his mouth. After they'd all forgotten their childhoods, it had raised alarms about GF use and memory loss. So, scientists in Esthar had devised a pill to use in partnership with Junctioning. It combated the problem of memory loss effectively. When he was ready, he also saw that Selphie was ready.

She normally wore bright colours, but today she'd gone for drab, much like Zell himself.

"Ready?" She asked, watching Zell as he got his wallet and stuff like that, putting them in his pockets. Selphie wasn't head of SeeD Intelligence for nothing. She knew when things were going on behind the scenes, and there was something going on with Zell. She didn't think it was anything particularly bad, because something like that, he would have mentioned, but there was _something _bothering him, something he was keeping secret.

"Yeah." They left, and started walking, though Selphie noted that Zell was very preoccupied. As he'd gotten older, he'd lost some of his nervous chatter, becoming more serious and quiet, but this was quiet, even for him. "Selphie, have you noticed Cactuar being restless?"

"How do you mean?" She asked.

"I dunno. It's just that Ifrit kept me up last night."

"It's probably just because we haven't been Junctioning all that much in the past few years. It will just take some getting used to. I didn't really notice anything, but Cactuar is kind of.... a strange GF." She put her hands in her pockets. "He....she.... um, it doesn't really act the same as the others."

"Are you sure that's all?" Selphie asked, hoping that Zell would open up to her. He really did seem distracted.

He smiled, looking more like his old self. "Yeah, yeah... I'm fine. Just a little distracted. I guess I'm getting used to not having to be stuck at Garden."

Selphie smiled back, hoping that was really all. She started thinking about Irvine, wondering when he'd come to Timber, wondering how things were going in Trabia for him. Trabia meant a lot to her, but also a lot in her relationship with Irvine. When Trabia Garden was being rebuilt, Selphie had gone there often, Irvine going with her. It was the place where they'd first had sex, the place where Irvine had first told her he loved her. It would be nice to spend some time with him while they were here, for that could be for a while. Selphie watched Zell's profile as they entered Bridgeport Square. Is that what was bothering him? Was he lonely? Selphie knew that Zell hadn't had any sort of serious relationship in a long time, and she also knew why. After all, she was head of SeeD Intelligence. It was her job to know these things. Zell was carefully guarded about his homosexuality, and kept it a very tight secret, but Selphie had noticed. Noticed the way his eyes lingered over the photos in his martial arts magazines. That itself wasn't unusual, but it was the expression in his eyes that gave it away. It was the way he tried to hide when he noticed the attractiveness of a man passing him on the sidewalk, in the Garden hallways. It was the way he never got that same darkness in his eyes when he looked at a woman. It was the way he was always alone.... Selphie felt sorry for him, but it was an issue that she didn't press. After all, he would tell her if he was ready, and he obviously wasn't.

They didn't stop walking until they were in the very heart of the crime-ridden district. "Well?" Selphie asked, looking around lazily. She was wearing a bandana over her hair, her denim jacket ripped in places.

"I guess we can just dick around until dark, because that's when everyone will come out, anyway. But, we could find out where to be when it does get to be night."

"Sounds good. Wanna split up and meet back here in an hour?" Neither was too worried about getting into too much trouble. Even if they got attacked, each was a _very_ capable soldier. Selphie just started wandering around, making mental note of which businesses were where. Selphie noticed a couple of sad looking men standing in the alley next to a hovel which was supposed to be some sort of bar. "Hey," she greeted quietly, shuffling up next to them. Trying to be friendly, but not _too _friendly. "What's goin' on?"

One, with a straggly beard and very dirty clothes, just kind of nodded at her. The other stared blankly. Selphie furrowed her brow when she heard someone saying something strange, but neither of the men's lips were moving. And, it didn't sound anything like Daphnic, the spoken language of Timber. Galbadian was their official language, but people didn't speak it. But, because Timber was such a hub city now, all the languages of the world like Balambish, Estharian, Galbadian, Capathic (Fisherman's Horizon's tongue), Centran and Trabica were all heard. However, this was something that Selphie had never heard, and it sounded like gibberish. She looked around, wondering where the voice had come from. Selphie, as well as all SeeD, had to be versed in every language in the world, but this was one that disturbed her.

She ignored it, and turned to the men again. "You know if... anything's happening later?"

"Anything?" One echoed, his expression so transparent that one of Selphie's hands immediately went into her pocket, fingering for some coin gil.

"You know what I mean," she murmured. "How's ten gil? For any information at all." She made her voice sound very desperate, and anyone passing would have thought her a homeless bum, looking to score some Blackball... just like all the other homeless bums around here.

"Ten gil....?" The one with the straggly beard echoed, his voice holding reverence, like that was a fortune. "Really....?"

She pulled out a handful of silver gil coins. "Twenty. Just... please man...."

The other one, who had been silent this entire time, licked his lips. "You want some too, don't you?"

"_Reallll_ bad," Selphie panted out. "Real bad."

"There's a party tonight," he whispered, reaching out to touch Selphie, his hands shaking so badly. Selphie had to school her face not to feel sorry for him. "On Pival Street."

"Tonight?" She asked, making her lips shake, biting them in anticipation. She wondered if Zell was applauding her acting somewhere.

"Yeah. There will be some there."

Selphie sighed a sigh that, in real life, she would have only made after making love with Irvine. "Thanks, man." She put some gil in his hand, wishing that he would buy food or water with it, but knowing he wouldn't. "Maybe I'll see you there." She started jogging down the sidewalk. "See ya!" As she passed someone coming out of a crummy looking building, that voice whispered again.

__

Ek ipo pipappa. Ek ipo pipappa.

Selphie looked around again, but there was nobody around. She saw a couple pairs of eyes staring out smeared windows, but this voice hadn't belonged to them. It was a squeaky voice, and the language was so strange. As she kept walking, the voice did not appear. She spent a few hours wandering around, seeing so many sad faces. But, her job wasn't to pity them. A whistle sounded somewhere, and the part of the Square she was in was suddenly flooded with people. They were walking away from a building that was probably a factory of some sort. The work day was ending, which meant night would be soon. And, night meant they could finally have some purpose to being in Timber. Not that Selphie was complaining. This felt like a mini-vacation so far, and once they really started to get knee-deep in Blackball, that would change.

Selphie started jogging through the streets, trying to make it back to the central square with its dilapidated fountain. She wanted to meet up with Zell again before dark. He wasn't around when she got there, so she sat on the edge of the fountain and waited. When a couple people passed her, Selphie heard that strange whispering again.

__

Ek ipo pipappa.

"What does it mean?" She muttered under her breath.

"'Sup Selphie. What does what mean?"

Selphie looked up to see Zell, staring down at her with the question in his eyes.

"Nuthin'," Selphie muttered.

"Getting in character, huh?" He smirked at her as she stood up. "What'd you find out?"

"Let's go to Pival Street."

"What's on Pival Street?"

"A Blackballing 'party'. I'm not sure if it's actually a party, though."

Zell nodded and they started walking. The sun was starting to set over the tops of the hulking, bland buildings of Bridgeport Square.

"Zell....?" Selphie asked, shoving her hands into her pockets as the sun disappeared, and with it, the warmth in the air. It was getting cold, and quickly.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever heard the expression 'Ek ipo pipappa' before?"

"Ek what?"

"I don't know. I heard someone say it a few times."

"Nah. What language is it? Doesn't sound like Daphnic, or even Galbadian."

"I know." Selphie sighed. She hated when things escaped her like this. She hated not knowing what the phrase meant, or who had uttered it. As it got darker, it gold colder, and more ominous. Selphie knew she could handle herself, but she still walked close to Zell. It wasn't a matter of it getting dangerous as soon as it turned dark, but it just made Selphie more aware that in the shadows of the factories there were less than friendly things.

"What time do you think it starts?" Zell asked.

"They didn't say." She looked around as they approached Pival Street, finding it a rather gross, ratty looking neighbourhood. Zell and Selphie contented themselves with waiting and mentally preparing themselves for just about anything. They'd read about the hallucinations that Blackballers went through, so dealing with them could bring many surprises. They also looked around the neighbourhood, familiarizing themselves with it, in case the shit hit the fan. Selphie's mind started to get occupied with the phrase she'd heard. Ek ipo pipappa. And, Zell's mind was thinking about Seifer. He felt bad for keeping this secret from Selphie, but he had to respect Seifer's wishes, especially when they seemed so desperate.

Eventually, people started to filter from all corners of the streets. Small groups of people who looked sweaty and hot, even though the wind was getting chilly. People whose eyes looked hollow, who if they weren't addicted to Blackball, then they were addicted to a more notorious drug like heroin or cocaine. Selphie and Zell looked at each other, nodding. They followed the small huddles of people, schooling their faces to look as desperate as all the others. They were all going into an apartment building that looked like it had been a nice old brownstone in years past, but now... it should have been condemned. Everyone was climbing the creaky, rickety stairs going down a hall. Selphie was a very light woman, but she was worried that her weight would collapse the staircase. Zell was also worried about such a thing. With each step, the steps protested. He may have been small in stature, but he was far heavier than Selphie because of his muscle mass, and he wouldn't be surprised if he fell through the rotting stairs.

They were all going into an apartment, the door not just open, but absent. Music was coming from inside, but it was just cacophony. None of these people were here to socialize. It was some sort of techno-ish music, but when Selphie and Zell came into the apartment, it wasn't the stereo that was giving the most sound. It was the people. They were panting and crying, and those who seemed to be lucky enough to have some fresh drugs in their system had smiles on their faces that were dreamy bordering on scary. There were people peddling the drugs in the apartment, which was now wall-to-wall with people, but both SeeD were sure that they were not the actual dealers, or even the manufacturers.

"Hey," Selphie asked quietly to one woman sitting on a dusty, stained couch. There was an awful smell coming from its upholstery. "Who made this batch?"

"Hmmm?" The woman lolled her head, her hair tangled and unwashed. "His voice is beautiful, don't you think?"

"Who made this batch?" Selphie asked again, her voice still a whisper, but there was more urgency in her tone.

The woman just started laughing and sang a song in some weird language. It was not the same language as the voice that had spoken to Selphie earlier.

__

Vi'kshatlatha Kollerurlah, dos meik u'sheikaram dahzi.

So'ulurha dos y'khexial xialiphi dos meikaka.

Vi'shak xillath xerthar dal akaxa doxapha...

Selphie looked around the room as a few voices joined her in this darkly beautiful and frightening song. Her jade eyes sought Zell, but all the people in the room had enveloped him. Zell was across the room, surrounded by people laughing at things only in their own heads. Their eyes glittered like black stars, staring into nothing, the sweat sheening their faces. Sweat was also beading on Zell's skin because of the heat of the apartment and the closeness of everyone around him. He felt a drop roll down his spine, someone writhing next to him, but not against him. A few people were moaning and writhing in a sexual manner, except that it was solely personal. This would not turn into a sexual orgy. It was all in their own heads, whatever was giving them pleasure. Demented laughter echoed throughout the crowded space, and bodies were falling to the ground, rolling around on it, laughing and singing along with some song that had filtered through the air. Zell wanted to find Selphie and stay close to her. He just wanted to get out of here.

A few people started dancing, but it wasn't to the music that was forgotten on the stereo. They danced slow and languid, completely opposite of the tempo of the tune on the stereo. Zell saw people pop the black spheres into their mouths, crying out in victory as they swallowed it. Zell had never seen anything like this. The people were so transformed that it was almost a religious experience, darkened and bastardized into _this._ Zell started searching all the faces, looking for the familiar one of Selphie. He pushed across the room, moving through the throngs of people, being banged by shoulders and elbows, slammed into by laughing, dancing addicts, so high and lost in their own head they didn't know where they were anymore. Zell could see that through the sweat on their faces, people were crying, and it made him want to vomit. All of these people had families, had once had jobs or studies at school, and now look at them. Reduced to this....

Someone cried out, and others cheered and laughed, clapping and conversing. It wasn't a cry of pain. It was one of a joy so large, it was agony. Zell watched as a small group of people conversed, moving their hands with their words, paying so close attention to each others' conversations. They talked and moved as if the conversation was about the meaning of life, was a talk about deep philosophy, and yet their words were gibberish. Zell had heard the dark language of the song a few people were singing, and while he hadn't understood a word, he'd known it was a real language from its composition and the formation of words. But, this... it was merely baby talk, and yet they acted as if it was the deepest conversation in the world. Zell was about to move on, but he was cemented to the spot when he saw the face of one of the people, talking utter nonsense.

He stared in horror, jaw dropping. He tried to call out to him, but no words could be found. How could this be?!

He laughed, throwing up his hands as he made a point in his anti-language. His eyes scanned around, and Zell gasped when their gazes met. Raijin's eyes had always been dark, but now they were like black matter, glittering with fervour and addiction. Raijin's eyes widened, and he stepped away from his nonsense conversation. The people he'd been speaking to kept talking as if he were still standing there. "Zell!" He exclaimed, voice hoarse. When Raijin's arms came around Zell's body, embracing him in a hug, all of the blonde's skin wanted to rip off his skeleton in disgust. Raijin had always been a healthy, burly man when he'd been at Garden. But, now he was so emaciated and skinny looking. His eyes were hollowed, looking dead and yet so alive with the glitter of Blackball. "Wow, ya know?!" He smiled so wide and looked so pathetic that it made a few tears trickle down Zell's cheeks.

"I'm so happy," Raijin whispered, kissing the tattooed side of Zell's face. "That you've felt _him._ Isn't it beautiful?"

"Oh, Raijin...." Zell shook his head. "What's happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, completely not understanding the question.

"Why are you doing this? Where's Fujin....? Where's....?" Zell stopped himself. He was about to ask where Seifer was. Did Seifer know about this?!

Raijin's face darkened, looking dangerous. "You don't know...." He shook his head. "You don't know his voice. But, you can...." Raijin gripped Zell's shoulders. Raijin was taller than Zell, but his body seemed so collapsed on itself that he appeared much smaller.

Zell took a big step backwards, banging into someone who didn't even seem to notice. "What happened to you, Raijin?"

Raijin's eyes suddenly flared angrily. "Dhaka vi'shaxaxr!!"

A deathly silence filled the room, and everyone's glittering eyes looked over to where Zell and Raijin were standing. "Zell...!" He heard Selphie shout from somewhere across the apartment.

"You're here to take it from us..." Raijin hissed. Addressing the whole room, he said loudly "he's from SeeD. You know what SeeD is, right?! They want to destroy our dark gift. They want to take Blackball from us. They want to take his voice from usssss!" His voice trailed off in a hiss.

Angry shouts started to grow all around him, and Zell balled his fists, preparing for a fight. Everyone looked hatefully at him, and so fucking desperate and crazy. Zell then realized that his hands were encased in a weapon made by Seifer, one of Raijin's best friends. What if this was all a horrible trap...? But, Zell didn't have a chance to find out. Raijin jumped towards him, trying to tackle the tattooed blonde to the ground. Zell's fist came out, and connected with Raijin's face. The dark-skinned man had always been a competent fighter, but he went down like a ton of bricks, and Zell felt power in his limbs that he hadn't felt with his old gloves. Suddenly, the blonde martial artist felt like he was in the center of a swarm of insects. Blackballers were attacking him from all sides, Raijin shouting "destroy them. SeeD will take his dark lament!!!" His words then started to mingle together with nonsense, until he was babbling incoherently.

It was hard for Zell to truly fight when surrounded by so many bodies punching and kicking at him, also scratching, biting and spitting. He heard Selphie shout, and heard cries of pain from somewhere across the apartment. Luckily, the cries weren't being made by the small brunette. Most of these people were just so weak and skinny, lost in their drug, that they put up _zero_ fight. They fell against Zell's fists, which were enhanced by the gloves Seifer had made. The floor was littered with unconscious addicts, but Raijin had gotten back up, and he was glaring at Zell.

"You think you're so fucking high and mighty, don't you?" He snapped, punching Zell in the face. It wasn't a particularly devastating blow, but because of all the limbs askew on the ground, Zell lost his balance and fell backwards. Raijin was on top of him like a rabid dog, punching him and spitting obscenities in Zell's face, less than half of them making any sense. Zell tried to fight back, but many of the Blackballers had crawled towards them, and were now attacking Zell, too. Raijin was knocked upside the head by one end of Selphie's nunchaku. They then heard the shouts of someone outside the building. And, sirens. The Timber Police. Blackballers started screeching and left like rats abandoning a sinking ship. Raijin kept punching at Zell, but the blonde got the upper hand, connecting with a good combination. Raijin hissed like an animal and bolted from the apartment. Zell tried to get up to chase him, but he automatically went to the ground, covering his head when rapid fire filled the air. The police were shooting at the escaping addicts. Zell wasn't sure if they were using fake or real bullets. Real bullets disgusted something in him. Like shooting fish in a barrel. These people were so helpless, they couldn't fight anyone.

"You okay?" Selphie shouted over the gunfire, laying on the ground next to him.

Zell just nodded, not moving until he heard the footsteps of the police coming up the stairs. "Freeze!" They shouted. "This is a raid!"

Selphie raised her arms. "SeeD Captain Selphie Tilmitt!" She shouted. "Don't shoot."

"Identify yourself," one officer grunted, standing next to them. Zell and Selphie slowly sat up, pulling out their IDs and showing the officer.

"I apologize, Captains."

"No worries." Selphie stood and offered a hand to Zell, which he took. He wiped some spittle off his face, looking around. Most of the people had gotten away, including Raijin. "Listen, we don't want to interfere with your investigation, but after you're done questioning what people you could catch, can we have a run at them?"

"We have orders to go along with SeeD plans, so that will be fine." The Commander of the squad nodded at them, going into the apartment.

"What now?" Selphie asked under her breath as they went down the stairs. A few of them had collapsed under the stampede of the police and the escaping Blackballers. Zell jumped down to the bottom, his mind racing. They went outside and saw that the force hadn't been able to catch a lot of the people at the party. And, Zell didn't see Raijin's face at all. "Raijin's an addict?" She whispered into his ear, her eyes wide with disbelief. They both flashed their IDs to the police who were starting to raise guns to them. Zell pulled off his toque, shoving it in the pocket of his coat. When they were away from the police blockade, Zell whirled around to look at Selphie. "You find out who owns this building, who rents apartments in it, where they work, who their parents are, how many fucking pets they have, anything you can find. And, find out what language they were speaking."

Selphie nodded, but then cocked her head. "Okay, but.... uhh... where are you going?" She asked as Zell started moving rapidly up the sidewalk, more storming than walking.

"To find Fujin!" He shouted angrily, knowing exactly where he was going to start.

Edea stared out the window, the night sky illuminated in blue because of all Esthar's strange and futuristic machinery. Since she'd come to the city, she hadn't been able to give them any new information. With Odine, Laguna and Cid working from various angles, the Sorceress felt rather useless. And, of course her mind wandered to her child. To Seifer. And, also to her surrogate children, Selphie and Zell... somewhere in Timber where this dark magician lay in wait.

"Edea?"

She looked up, gasping because she'd been surprised.

"Are you okay?" Laguna asked, coming into the dark room. The only light was from a few burning tapers on the table next to the raven-haired woman, and from the lights outside that were never blackened.

Edea stared up at the full moon. "The moon is dark tonight. A black moon."

Laguna sat on the window seat next to her, looking out the window as well. The moon looked the same as it always did to him. "Black?"

She sighed heavily, looking at his profile. "Not really. It's...."

"A Sorceress thing," Laguna finished with a smirk.

"Something like that." She curled her legs up close to her body. "I apologize, Laguna."

"For what, dear?" He looked at her with such concern and friendship that her heart moved with affection for him.

"Because I still can't tell you anything about the witch in Timber. Though...." She trailed off.

"Say it," Laguna urged. "You second-guess yourself all the time, Edea. Especially after Time Compression."

She just murmured under her breath.

"Spill it. You know... with Squall as my son, I can be very patient at getting people to open up."

Edea couldn't help but laugh, her golden brown eyes glittering in the dim light. "This witch is egotistical."

"Really?" Laguna asked, genuinely sounding interested. It was because he was. Edea wasn't only a great Sorceress, but she was a smart one. It was true that after the influence of Ultimecia, she'd started to question her own power, the correctness of it. But, perhaps that also had to do with what had happened with Seifer. Laguna knew she blamed herself for the whole thing, which he thought was ridiculous.

"She, or he.... is veiling themselves from identification, but not very hard. They want people in the know to be aware that they are in Timber, but just not aware of their identity. At least not yet."

"But, why?" Laguna asked. "If she was so egotistical, you figure she'd be screaming her name from the rooftops."

"There has to be a purpose for this. But, the power that she's giving off..." Edea trailed off, shrugging. "We don't even know that it's a woman. Perhaps that is why the power feels so differently. Male witches are rare, but they can exist."

"You don't sound too sure about that."

"I'm not," Edea admitted, turning away from the window. The candles were burning very lowly, their flames starting to flicker. "A Sorcerer wouldn't feel _this_ differently."

"But, what would?"

"I wish I knew." Edea slumped, sighing in defeat.

"You'll figure it out."

Edea looked over at the President of Esthar. "You have more confidence in me than I do myself."

"I know why you don't have any," he said quietly. "Because you blame yourself for what happened with Seifer, and now you think that an incorrect decision by you will destroy someone." Laguna's brow furrowed. "When you don't even know that anything has destroyed Seifer."

"I do know it," Edea shot back, standing up in anger. She wasn't angry at Laguna, but at herself. "I should have been stronger against her. I should have protected him. No, not only him. All of them."

Laguna shook his head, also standing up. Edea's black satin nightgown and robe that covered it swished as she paced, floating behind her as did her dark, silky hair. He grabbed hold of her shoulders, and shook her firmly. "Yeah, Time Compression sucked, but it changed things. You can't take it back, Edea."

"I wish I could."

"But, why?" He asked angrily, shaking her again.

Her robe slid off her pale shoulder, and her eyes flared with anger. She shoved Laguna away from herself. "What, you don't think I should wish the taint of Ultimecia away from me? You don't think that I should wish her poison hands had never touched my child? I've lost him because of her!"

"And, look at what others have gained. There is always sacrifice, Edea! You don't know that Seifer is suffering. He could be living happily somewhere. Look at Squall and Rinoa. Look at everyone who bound together, making our nations stronger. Good things came out of Time Compression."

Edea put her fingers to her smooth forehead, the wrinkles that came with age and stress deepening around her eyes as she frowned. "I.... you're right, Laguna. I must stop feeling sorry for myself."

He put his hands on her shoulders again, comforting his long-time friend. "You're a kind, sensitive woman. You feel things very deeply. I know Cid would agree with me there."

She smiled sadly. "You're so wise, Laguna."

He laughed, hugging her to his chest. "Wow, that's something nobody's called me in a long time. Can you say it again in front of Kiros and Ward?"

She laughed as he kissed the top of her head. "Anytime, Laguna."

He pulled away from her, his face becoming serious once more. "No more doubting yourself, okay kiddo?"

"Yes, sir." She brushed some strands of hair out of her face, Laguna's fingers strong and warm on her shoulders. She then became very aware that she was only in her nightgown and robe. The robe covered the sheer black lace bodice, and saved some of her modesty, but Laguna was still very close to her. One of the shoulders of her robe had fallen off once more, exposing a lot of her white skin across the shoulder and her chest. It also showed the thin strap of the lingerie underneath, Laguna's fingers on her bare skin. She felt more hair tickling the side of her face, her own strands mixed with Laguna's own long, dark hair. He stared down into her eyes, seeing the beautiful woman that she was, feeling the warmth of her skin and smelling the faintness of her darkly beautiful perfume. It smelled the like the flowers that flourished around her orphanage.

Edea looked into Laguna's pale eyes, into his achingly handsome face. With Cid at Garden all the time and Edea in Centra, they often spent time apart, and Edea had begun to feel the pull of loneliness. She could see that in his eyes, too. He'd been without a woman for a long time, without a lover, without a companion. He understood how she felt, understood so much about her. He understood about Seifer, because of his situation with Squall. He seemed to understand so much about her, maybe even more than Cid.

Cid. _My husband._

She pulled away from Laguna, closing her robe tightly around her body. "I....."

Laguna let out his breath, eyes trailing over how the satin clung to the mature, sensual curves of her hips and breasts. "I'll.... I'll see you in the morning." He quickly left, blood rushing out of his head and into other areas. How could he have thought such sexual thoughts about Edea? She was married, for Hyne's sake. She also happened to be married to his friend. He felt so dirty, like he'd betrayed Cid. But, he thought of her golden eyes in that darkened room, of the warmth of her skin and the way her breasts slowly moved up and down as she breathed, how like flowers she'd smelled. He loved women that smelled like flowers....

"Oh, Raine..." He trailed off, rubbing his forehead. He walked away from Edea's room, from that black satin that draped off her pale skin, off her womanly curves, how that satin would look falling away from her body..... "Why am I thinking this?"

Edea leaned against the door, hearing Laguna's footsteps receded down the hallway until she couldn't hear them anymore. She closed her eyes, chastising herself. What was _wrong _with her? Getting all hot and bothered just because Laguna had touched her bare shoulder?! She sat back down at the window seat, staring sadly out at the city. But, this time she wasn't thinking of the mysterious witch in Timber, or of Seifer. She was thinking of how she'd wronged Cid without even doing anything. But, the thoughts about Laguna like that had been so violent, so vivid. The thought of him ripping this nightgown right off her body, claiming her as his own, hands calloused from gun use running over her breasts....

She jumped when the door opened and closed, almost afraid that it would be Laguna. But, it was Cid. He smiled at his wife, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Hello, love. Still awake?" His blue eyes filled with concern. "Is something wrong?"

She tore across the room, flinging herself in her husband's arms.

"Edea?" He hugged his wife, but it was with worry. He looked into her eyes. "What's happened?"

"Nothing," she mused sadly, hugging herself to him again, so tightly. "I just missed you, that's all."

"That's not all...." He began, but Edea kissed him sharply, killing all the words on his mouth. He kissed her back, pushing the robe off her shoulders so she was just in the thin, sexy lingerie, as elegant and sensual as she was herself.

"Trust me that it is," she said quietly, the candles on the table having now burnt out, floating the room into deeper darkness, only the blue lights outside illuminating the room as Edea fell into bed with her husband, another man distantly on her mind.

Daeva sipped his expensive brandy, listening to the women he'd hired to sing along with his harpsichord player.

__

Vi'kshatlatha Kollerurlah, dos meik u'sheikaram dahzi.

So'ulurha dos y'khexial xialiphi dos meikaka.

Vi'shak xillath xerthar dal akaxa doxapha...

He smiled, hearing the distant words, hearing their real meaning, feeling the power of it being sang elsewhere, fuelling his fire.

"The rain falls this night, oh Evil Messenger,

Tears for your dark lament, song for the dead.

Give your beautiful blessing to their rotten flesh."

Daeva watched the women sing, Blackball heightening the power of their words. Their eyes glittered like black gems, and Daeva's power only rose. It filled him with warmth, like the brandy in the expensive crystal goblet between long fingers. He looked up angrily when his manservant, Ulurha - barely a man at 17, came close to him. Daeva had wanted peace during his little private concert, even from someone as lovely as Ulurha with his auburn hair and cupid's bow mouth. His mouth that worked wonders on human flesh, showing tricks learned from a childhood bred in prostitution, slavery and brothels.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Master. But, there is a guest here to see you, one that... I believe you will want to see."

"Oh?" Daeva asked sharply. The singers faltered a little, but kept going when Daeva waved a graceful hand at them to continue.

"A man by the name of Etanin Alwaid, Master."

Daeva's pretty face paled just a little. He stood up quickly. "Get out," he commanded, pacing around his lounge. The harpsichord player stopped, but the singers kept going. "Get out!" Daeva shouted angrily, flinging some of his thick, lustrous hair over his shoulders. It looked especially black compared to his all white suit. "Out, out, out!!!" He screamed.

The singers screeched and fled the room, the harpsichord player not far behind. Ulurha bowed and opened the doors. "Etanin Alwaid, Master." He closed them once more, and Daeva knew his pretty little toy hadn't gone far. He knew not to, for if he strayed to where it took him too long to heed his Master's call, Daeva got displeased.

Mr. Alwaid came into the room, looking around with mild interest, his dark eyes bland. His brown hair was neatly slicked back from his face. He wore an expensive coat made of brown leather, and it swept the rugs as Etanin Alwaid looked around the room.

"You've obtained quite a lovely manor for yourself, Count. A pretty little manservant, too. Though, a little young, perhaps."

"My Lord." Daeva bowed, but looked up through a curtain of his hair at Bahamut. His eyes showed a little anger. "Whatever brings you here?"

"Cut the shit, _Daeva._" Bahamut's eyes narrowed as he gripped Daeva's chin, forcing the willowy man to look him straight in the eyes. Bahamut's human form was taller than Diablos's, so the Dark Messenger's feet were dangling a little off the rugs. "I know what you're doing."

"My Lord?" Diablos asked, eyes showing defiance.

The shadow on the wall behind Bahamut grew, showing the silhouette of a great dragon, though his body remained that of a human. Diablos's shadow also revealed his true form, while his human body kept the lie. "You didn't think I'd know from the very _instant_ you came here?" Bahamut asked, cocking an arched eyebrow, eyes daring Diablos to interrupt him. "Don't be a fool, for I know you aren't."

"Then, why didn't you come sooner?" Diablos asked as Bahamut unceremoniously let go of him. He stumbled, but with the grace of his faerie blood, he regained composure beautifully, standing in the middle of his sumptuous room, lips full and blushed with the brandy he'd been sipping. He smiled at his King, but his teeth were sharp and rather monstrous fangs.

"You do enjoy your fun, _Daeva._"

"What do you mean?"

"What you are doing is harmless, Berith. I do get amusement out of your little games." He stepped closer to the Dark Messenger. "But, I am watching you. So, you better watch your ass." They spoke in a language so complex that no human could have ever possibly understood it, even with millennia of study. It was the language of Summons, a language no truly human mouth could even form.

"Of course." Diablos fell to his knees and clasped his King's hands, kissing them and pressing his forehead to them. "My King..." He looked up, chin resting on the backs of Bahamut's hands. The King took his hands away and stroked over the top of Diablos's lush black hair, then waved an arm, silently commanding the other to rise to his feet.

"You have to work on the phoniness of your heraldry worship."

Diablos laughed darkly and winked. "Care for a drink?" Diablos may have done everything and anything he could get away with in Bahamut's court, and even lied to his king, but the truth was that Diablos did love Bahamut, did adore and worship him with the reverence that a peasant worships a Lord, and the uglier truth was that though Diablos knew this, he also knew Bahamut knew it. And, he hated that. It was something that the King could always hold over Diablos's head.

"That would be fine." He watched with onyx eyes as Daeva poured some brandy. "You must be careful around the SeeD, you realize."

"Yes, I realize that!" Diablos snapped, angrily thrusting the goblet into Bahamut's hand. "I'm not an idiot!"

The dragon just stared at Diablos with human eyes, silent and angry.

"I apologize," Diablos was finally forced to say, hating to say it.

Bahamut smiled at Diablos's displeasure. "They do carry Ifrit and Cactuar with them. You're lucky you yourself weren't released by our former master to them." He laughed genuinely, sipping his drink. "You would have been... ah, as they say... _fucked_."

Diablos's too beautiful face showed his displeasure, then a dark smirk. "You could say that, though perhaps it would have also added a layer of amusement." His face darkened, showing uncharacteristic concern. "My Lord, there is a matter that..... I wonder if you're aware of...."

"Which would be?" Bahamut asked, running the fingers of his left hand through Diablos's magnificent hair.

"She is here."

"I know," Bahamut hissed, his hand gripping the crystal goblet hard enough that it shattered in his hand, which had transformed into a clawed one with slate blue scales. Wings flapped from his back with his anger, but they receded as the cuts on his hand healed before their eyes. Neither made a move to clean up the broken glass. That was a maid's job. "Have you contacted her?" He asked stiffly.

"No," Diablos answered. "I can't pinpoint her location. Even since I last felt her, she has weakened considerably."

Bahamut's upper lip curled into a sneer. "Stay away from her. That is _my_ concern."

"Of course, My Lord."

A long silence stretched, where Bahamut's anger receded, leaving him totally with his human form once more, hand back to human shape. He gripped a handful of Diablos's hair and brought him in for a kiss, their mouths pressed tightly against each other. Their teeth grew into fangs, cutting the delicate skin of a human mouth, making the kiss bloody. Slate blue wings flapped out, mingling with oily black and red ones, draping around their bodies. Diablos's iron will faltered in his King's arms, and he was hatefully pliant and subservient. His human body's knees weakened with love and adoration, and he let out a small little moan, despising this weakness in him, and yet knowing he would have given his body to his Lord that instant if asked.

Bahamut pulled away, Diablos's body sliding to the expensive rug like liquid. The dark blue wings receded into Bahamut's back, and he licked his bloodstained lips. He did adore Diablos, heralding him above all the other summons, but he did enjoy weakening his pride like this. It left no doubt of who was still very much in charge. Diablos was panting, slumped on the floor, his wings around his human body, whip-like tail swishing.

"Remember what I said, Berith." Bahamut opened the double doors to the lounge, walking out into the hallway. Ulurha watched his master's guest leave, the regal man paying the auburn-haired young man no attention. Etanin Alwaid stepped out onto the sidewalks of Timber's Westphal district, then disappeared from sight.

Daeva collected himself, rising to his feet as he heard the King of Summons leave his manor. He put a hand to his chest, feeling blood dribbling over the curve of his lower lip. Oh, why hadn't he stayed and finished what he'd started? His love and lust for his King turned into anger. "So, you think you can weaken me with a simple kiss, do you?" Daeva asked the empty room in their ancient tongue. "Ulurha!" He called angrily.

"Yes, Master?" The boy asked, coming into the room. When his eyes met his Master's, everything vanished. Nothing mattered but those black and blue eyes, a hypnotic and dark ocean.... floating away for leagues..... no voices, only his.

"Do you worship me?" Daeva asked.

"Yes, Master." Ulurha's young and pretty face was so delectable, like a tender and ripe fruit.

"Then, do so."

His young little professional of course did as he was told, falling to his knees to perform fellatio on Count Aka-Manah. While Ulurha's method of worship was different than that of the Blackballers, the principle was the same. With everyone that worshipped him, worshipped his power, Diablos only grew stronger. And, with each passing day, that power only grew. It would only be a matter of time before the entire city would be his base of power, consuming all the lowly humans with his dark message.

Archimedes was closed for the night, but that didn't mean there wasn't activity inside. After hours, Seifer was always there, forging weapons. Today, he was doing it with distraction. He was thinking about the money Zell had left behind for the gloves. How dare he?! And, yet... there was something sweet about the sense of honour in the gesture. The gesture was much like Zell himself. It was infuriating on the surface, but rather sweet beyond that. Seifer smirked, thinking of all the times in the past that Zell had flipped out and gotten so amusingly angry at him.

Seifer looked up from the sword he was making when he heard a distant banging. He stopped the sharpener and heard it again. It sounded like someone was banging on the door. Maybe Gietzen or Xera had forgotten something. He went up the stairs from the basement smithy into his office. The banging got louder. He stepped out into the dark, locked shop, stopping when he saw a small, familiar person bashing on the door. Seifer strode over, opening the door. "Hey, Chicken-Wuss.... to what do I owe yet _another_ visit?"

Zell pushed past the taller man into the shop. "You fucking lying bastard," Zell hissed.

Seifer raised an eyebrow, pulling Zell's money out of his pocket. "Want to talk about being a bastard?" He chucked Zell's money at him. "I don't need your fucking pity money." The bills fluttered to the ground around Zell's black sneakers. "Besides, you think 400 gil would even cover a quarter of what those gloves cost?"

"Tell me about Raijin."

Seifer froze, the angry look pasted on his face. Zell watched as that expression of anger crumpled into a dead one. But, Seifer's peridot eyes couldn't stay dead. Seifer looked as if Zell had slapped him.

"What about him?" Seifer asked, but his voice was subdued, without the acid that had been in it only moments before.

"Are you one, too?" Zell asked headedly, remembering that look in Raijin's eyes. But, it didn't seem present in Seifer's eyes.

"One what?" Seifer asked, putting a hand on his hip.

"A Blackballer."

Seifer again looked like Zell had slapped him. "No."

Zell narrowed his pale eyes. Seifer said that one word with such force that Zell believed him. And, his body showed none of the symptoms.

"You saw him...." Seifer trailed off, not making it a question.

"Yeah."

Seifer's eyes closed, and he walked past Zell into his office, needing to sit down. "How.... uh.... what was he like....?"

"You should know," Zell snapped, standing in the doorway.

Seifer rubbed his forehead, his elbow rested on the armrest of his chair. "I haven't seen him in three years."

"Bullshit."

Seifer looked up at his former classmate, his eyes looking haunted. "Believe what you want about me, Zell. Everyone else did, anyway."

"Where's Fujin?" Zell demanded, finding it harder and harder to be mad at Seifer.

The now brunette looked up sharply. "She's not one of those fucking addicts, if that's what you're implying." His voice lowered again. "She works at the Aphorora Pub as a bartender. You can ask her all you want about Raijin, but she might beat your ass for it." There was no humour in his voice, though.

Zell came fully into the office, sitting in the chair right across from Seifer. The way the office was set up, the desk was against the wall, so it couldn't be between them. He'd stormed all the way across town to confront Seifer, but now none of that anger was in him. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know how it started," Seifer admitted, looking into Zell's pale eyes. "Neither of us do."

"You mean you and Fujin?"

Seifer just stared rather than nodding.

"Is she your wife now?" Zell asked, cocking his head.

Seifer threw his head back and laughed, but it wasn't a laugh of humour. It was a bitter, sad one. "No," he said with a smile. "Not even close. I'm queer."

Zell felt like he'd swallowed a butterfly. "You..... you.... y-you are?"

Seifer snorted, running his hand through his brown hair. "Yeah. But, being gay isn't as bad as being Seifer Almasy in most people's eyes, so what do I care if you know?"

Zell's mind was filled with a million quick images of him and Seifer on that desk in the corner, their naked limbs tangled together, mouths hungrily moving against each other. He shook them away, because this was Seifer of all men. And, because of what he'd seen tonight in Raijin's eyes. "He was speaking in a weird language. Do you know what it is?"

"....no," Seifer answered after a pause. "I never heard him use a different language. He spoke in gibberish sometimes, though."

"He was doing that tonight."

"....Oh."

"Why haven't you seen him in so long?"

Seifer made an angry noise. "Because of that fucking drug. It changed him. It's all he cares about. He stopped sleeping and eating regularly."

"Yeah, he looked skinny...." Zell trailed off.

Seifer's eyes closed, and to the tattooed blonde, it looked like he was in pain.

"Why, though....?" Zell asked. A part of his mind just couldn't comprehend that someone he knew was really affected by this, a student of Garden could have been seduced by this drug. It made him wonder at how truly powerful the allure of Blackball really was.

"I don't...." Seifer paused, looking at Zell. "I don't know." He looked so much like the old Seifer, and yet so different. And, it wasn't his brown hair and eyeglasses that did it, either. It was the look in his eyes that was the most changed. What Seifer was telling him was important, but Zell's mind couldn't help but go back to Seifer's utterance of his sexual orientation.

"You must have some idea," Zell insisted.

Seifer suddenly rose to full height, looking very tall and imposing, anger flying across his face. "Don't you think I wish I fucking had, Chicken-Wuss?"

Zell frowned at the nickname. "Don't call me that," he insisted lowly, glaring up at his former (and current...?) adversary.

"Just go home, Zell. And, take your charity gil with you."

"What's so wrong with me wanting to pay for the weapons?" Zell asked, standing up as well.

Seifer then laughed, more of a bark than a chuckle. "Do you really think 400 gil would come even _close _to paying for those gloves?" He turned his back to the short blonde. "Just go. I don't have any answers to give you."

Zell opened his mouth to protest, but he knew it was futile. Seifer had clammed up, turned to stone. Zell just sighed, leaving. He stepped through the littered gil, but didn't move to pick any of it up. Instead of going back to his apartment, Zell made his way into old downtown Timber, all the buildings and train tracks bringing back memories from a decade ago. He walked down to the Aphorora Pub. It was crowded due to people waiting for the overnight train. He gently weaved through the chattering crowd, entering the Pub. The last time he'd been here.... God, he'd been too young to drink. A lifetime ago. He looked around the dimly lit bar. People were starting to leave, as the bar was doing last call. Zell's eyes swept the bar, and he saw a familiar face behind it, though she looked a little different, though not as much as Seifer. He supposed that Fujin couldn't really blend into a crowd, even if she tried.

"DRINK?" Fujin asked, not even really seeing Zell's face. She had that tired look in her eye that said she was only running on fumes. She still had her eyepatch, her visible eye claret red and glittering with her iron resolve and persona.

"INFORMATION," Zell murmured back to her, winking when she did a double take.

Her eye widened, and her blank expression briefly changed. "CHICKEN?"

Zell rolled his eyes, folding his hands on the bar. "Can I have a vodka tonic?"

Fujin wordlessly started to make the drink, her formerly silver hair still cut in the same manner as it had always been, shaggy and chin-length, but now it was black, making her look even more dark and mysterious, though it made her look a little less severe. She unceremoniously plunked Zell's drink order before him.

"You look good," he told her, taking a sip. It was good.

"Hmph."

"A lot better than Raijin looked."

Fujin nearly dropped the glass she was polishing, her russet eye wide. "RAIJIN?"

"I saw him tonight."

"ALIVE?" Fujin looked into Zell's face, which looked the same to her as it had ten years ago, though age had given it more maturity. He was more handsome now than he had been as a teenager. In private conversation while they'd all been at Garden, Seifer had always heralded Zell's looks, saying he was very attractive, though compared to the likes of Squall, nobody had ever really noticed. Now that Zell was older, she saw that Seifer had been correct in his assessments. She tried not to show it, but even the smallest tidbit of information about Raijin stirred her. Seifer remained very silent on the whole situation, but she knew that her old friend missed Raijin, too.

"Yeah," Zell murmured into his drink, his stomach constricting when he thought of that awful, desperate look in Raijin's eyes. He was in Hell, and yet he seemed to want to stay there. "He's still alive."

Fujin turned to the bartender beside her. "BREAK."

The guy just nodded and started telling a man sitting a few stools away from Zell that he was too drunk and should take a trolley home. Fujin came out from behind the bar, and nodded for Zell to follow her. He did so, and she led them to the back door that opened to the alley that connected the Aphorora Pub to the Timber TV Station, which in this time of Timber's massive growth, was now an international multimedia company, and had expanded, absorbing some of the older buildings around it.

"Seifer wouldn't tell me anything about how Raijin got like that," Zell said, wanting to get that information out in the open. He knew Fujin's first questions would be if Zell had seen Seifer. "And, no... I'm not going to tell Squall."

She looked relieved.

"Are you hiding too.... like he is?"

"NEGATIVE." She shook her head, running her hand through her hair with a simple shrug. "CHANGE."

"Just wanted something different?" Zell asked hollowly.

She furrowed her brow, and they were silent for a while. "We tried everything to get him to stop."

Zell watched her, not used to her using complete sentences. As he and Fujin had been classmates, he'd often wondered what had caused her to speak in such a manner. "What happened?" He asked.

"Where was he?" She demanded, gripping Zell's shoulders.

"At some... 'party' in Bridgeport Square."

She dropped her hands, a defeated look on her face. "BLACKBALL?"

Zell nodded.

She turned and started to go to the Pub.

"Hey!" He called after her. "You didn't tell me anything!"

"What's to tell?" She asked bitterly, rhetorically.

"Fujin!" He called after her, but she went in the Pub and closed the alley door. "Shit," he cursed under his breath, kicking at a discarded paper cup from a popular local coffee and bakery shop called The Lonely Orchid. Finding out how someone with SeeD training like Raijin had fallen into Blackball would go a long way to finding who was controlling and manufacturing it. Zell started walking through the streets of Timber, defeated. He hoped that Selphie was having better luck than he was.

Zell looked around the neighbourhood, seeing what could become the next Bridgeport Square. Zell and Raijin had never been what one could consider good friends, but it hurt the blonde to see his former classmate like that. He looked around, and found himself on a familiar street in Alraune. It was still dark, still the dead of night, but there was still a dim light on at Archimedes. Zell stood on the sidewalk, hedging his bets. He could go back in and try to question Seifer again, using more force this time, or he could go back to Selphie and tell her everything, not meaning about what little information he'd gotten from Seifer and Fujin, but about Seifer himself, that he was in Timber, living under an assumed name, basically hiding from his past.

But, before Zell could make a move, the front door of the shop opened, and Seifer came out, bundled up in a dark, knee-length coat and brightly striped scarf wrapped around his neck. Seifer started walking up the sidewalk, and Zell followed at a distance. He didn't see the large shape of a gunblade anywhere on Seifer's person, but that didn't mean he wasn't armed. Zell thought that Seifer was going to wait at the trolley stop for a ride, and there he could confront the taller man once more. But, Seifer rounded a corner, and there was a small parking lot there, mostly empty now because all the businesses and shops were shut for the night. Seifer got into a car, illuminating the lot with the headlights. It wasn't a fancy car, actually a truck, and not the sort of vehicle Zell would have pictured Seifer Almasy driving. The truck started, and Seifer drove away. Zell didn't have a car, so he couldn't follow. Instead, he had to go back to his apartment with dejection.

He went to Selphie's rooms, sat in her living room and waited for his friend to return. He wearily rubbed the back of his neck, and started mulling Seifer and Fujin's reactions over in his mind. He knew that both of them were clear of the drug just from their appearance, but there had been outright anger in their eyes too. There was a story there, for sure. Zell also started to feel ill suddenly. The room felt warm, and Zell got dizzy. He wound up laying down on the couch, wondering where this dizzy spell came from. He put a hand to his belly when it felt like something was alive inside him, and his body suddenly flared like he'd had gasoline for blood, and someone had taken a match to him. It was Ifrit within him, restless and angry. The reaction of the Fire God in his body was so violent that Zell thought he was going to vomit, and even tasted the acidic bile in his mouth. And, that's how Selphie found him an hour later, still curled up on her couch, panting quietly through the pain. Ifrit didn't speak to him, but was definitely agitated about something.

"Zell!" Selphie exclaimed, coming into the room. "Are you okay?!" She put her hand on his arm, and snatched it away. He felt hot. "Holy Hyne, you're burning up!"

Zell groaned, looking at her.

"I'll call a doctor!" She bolted up, but one of Zell's hot hands encircled her wrist.

"No," he protested hoarsely. "I'm... I'm not sick." He sighed, shirt sticking to his sweaty torso. "It's Ifrit..."

"Ifrit?" Selphie looked at her friend with concern, but also with vague knowledge. She'd also felt this unrest within her, the desire to vomit something living out of her stomach. Though, Cactuar was a strange GF, so he didn't act with the same properties as a more traditional powerhouse like Ifrit. "I wonder why...."

Zell slowly sat up, hand to his forehead. "I'm a little better. Don't worry about me, okay?"

She nodded, knowing that when Zell said he was fine, he meant it. "Okay, I did what sleuthing I could, but so far I haven't gotten much. Right now, it's just waiting for people to get back to me." Selphie started pulling out equipment for having a video phone call to Garden. "The name on the lease for that building is a Mr. Talman Sinclaire, but I haven't found out anything about him yet. And, I have no idea where to start with that song they were singing, so I'm going to ask Rinoa." Mentally, Selphie added that she would look into the whispered utterance she'd heard earlier in the day. _Ek ipo pipappa._ "And, I also need to wait for Timber Police to call us before we can take a run at those Blackballers that were arrested." She cocked her head, looking at Zell. He looked flushed, but otherwise okay. "Any luck finding Fujin?"

Zell grunted. "Yeah, but she wasn't much help."

"Is she....?" Selphie's voice lowered. "Addicted...?"

"No," Zell said with certainty. "Even mentioning Raijin's name affected her. There's a lot of hurt feelings there."

"What about Seifer?"

Zell jerked. "What about him?"

"Did she mention him? I mean, they were all close when they were at Garden, so.... you think he's in Timber?" She started connecting the video system, dialling into the Balamb Garden network.

"I...." Zell closed his eyes, thinking of Seifer's pleas to remain hidden. He heard the chime of connection into the system, and then heard Squall's voice. He opened his eyes and saw Squall's attractive face and its sterile expression.

"What's your status?" Squall asked, not bothering to say hello or asking how they were settling into life in Timber. Or, even asking about Zell's health, since he knew he probably looked a little sickly.

"We made contact with some Blackballers tonight," Selphie said, getting things started. Zell let her talk, the connection between him and Ifrit still humming like a shorting electrical current. "The effects of the drug seems more encompassing than we'd thought. Unfortunately, we had an altercation when we came into contact with Raijin."

"Raijin?" Squall interrupted sharply, showing the first signs of emotion. "Explain...." Squall's pouty lips were turned downward in a frown.

"I found Fujin," Zell murmured quietly, wanting to keep his words to a minimum, because he felt like if he kept his mouth open too long, he was going to be sick. What had gotten Ifrit so hot and bothered? "But, she wasn't very talkative."

"She usually wasn't." Squall's face was so clouded, mimicking his name. "And.... Seifer?" He spoke the name harshly, in a way that caused Zell to not pay attention to his ill feelings for a moment. He looked into Squall's face, trying to read the emotion there. But, it was difficult.

Selphie shrugged. "We don't know. I can ask..."

"I'll try asking Fujin again," Zell interrupted. If Selphie tried to question Fujin, it would come out that Seifer was in Timber, and that Zell had also lied about it. "But, I wouldn't hold out any hope. I just know that something bad happened. Though, it brings up the troubling fact that Blackball can affect anyone, even someone with SeeD training." Zell closed his eyes, still feeling light-headed.

"Yes," Squall noted.

"When we're done, I need to speak to Rinoa," Selphie said. "At the thing tonight, some people were speaking a strange language, and maybe she'd know something about that."

Squall nodded and pressed a button on his desk. "Rinoa, can you come up to my office? Selphie needs you." He then folded his hands on the desk, looking at both of them again. "And Zell, when you speak to Fujin again, try to find out Seifer's whereabouts."

"If we can't get the answers from Fujin, do you think we'd really be able to get them from him?" Selphie asked, cocking her head.

"I... I would still like to speak with him." The way Squall said it again made Zell frown, and again made him think that Seifer was smarter for keeping himself hidden. Did Squall still have hard feelings toward Seifer for things that had happened over ten years ago? Squall never talked much about the past, so Zell wasn't sure. It also told a lot about his friendship with the other man. Zell was supposed to be Squall's best friend, and yet he knew so little of what Squall felt.

"I have a meeting now. You can get your information from Rinoa." He started to stand, but stopped himself. "Irvine contacted us earlier. He'll be in Timber in three days."

Selphie's face exploded with a huge smile that made Zell happy for her, but also quite envious. He didn't have anyone that made him that happy. Squall left the screen, and then Rinoa popped in, her face friendlier than Squall's brisk business-like demeanour. She greeted them, smiling brightly, and then her pretty face clouded. "Zell, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he answered. "Ifrit's just being a jerk."

"Oh, that sucks." She frowned, and then looked at Selphie. "So, you have something for me?"

"Well, maybe." Selphie shrugged. "At the Blackball gathering we were at tonight..." Selphie trailed off and looked out the window. The sun was rising. "Or, last night I guess.... well, they were singing this song in a language I'd never heard."

"What did it sound like...?" Rinoa asked, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail, pulling an elastic from a pocket.

"Well, I don't remember all of it, but there are some phrases. How about you?"

"I was too distracted by Raijin," Zell admitted.

"Raijin...?" Rinoa's eyes clouded. "He's an addict?"

They both nodded.

"Oh...." She pursed her heart-shaped lips. "Okay, well what do you remember, Sel?"

"Vi'kshatlatha Kollerurlah. I know that part for sure. It seemed the most important part of the song. The words were emphasized." Selphie's tongue tripped a little on the words, but she got them out.

"Hmm...." Rinoa wrote them down. "They're vaguely ringing bells, but give me a few days. I can probably dig some stuff up."

"And...." Selphie trailed off, holding up a finger. "I heard someone say something else strange. Ek ipo pipappa."

Rinoa frowned. "I've never heard anything like that before, but I'll look into it, too."

"Thanks." They talked a little more, tying up loose ends. Zell said goodnight to them as they started talking about their relationships, the room still spinning a little. He went to his room, moving towards the bedroom. He was going to just pop a few pills and hit the sack, but as soon as the pain within him came, in vanished. He was left standing in the hallway that led to the bedroom, confused and feeling disoriented. He was glad the pain was gone, and yet he wondered...._why_? He went into his bedroom with its new bed and paintings, laying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. He had to get answers about Raijin, and that meant forcing Seifer and Fujin to tell him about things that were obviously painful to them. Zell was a SeeD, and while he could be as ruthless as the rest of them, it didn't fill him with satisfaction to know he'd be purposely opening old wounds. He drifted off to sleep, thinking of what he had to do next.

After a few hours sleep, Zell went downtown. Selphie had stayed around the apartment, catching up on her sleep and waiting for her contacts to get back to her about the landlord of that building. Zell was once more in Alraune, standing in front of Archimedes. He went in, and saw a man at the counter, not the girl from before.

"Hello!" He greeted, eyes bored behind spectacles. His nametag said Gietzen. "Can I help you?"

Zell immediately pulled out his SeeD ID, frowning at the guy. "Is Sei.... Is Raef Emaissyl here?"

Gietzen boggled at the SeeD ID for a few moments, worry creeping into his eyes. "Uhh... am I in trouble?"

"No," Zell assured, his voice softening. "I just need to talk with your boss. It's important."

"He's not here," Gietzen told Zell. "He never usually comes in during the day, unless there's a staff meeting or something."

"I need his address."

"Um.... sure...." Gietzen got out a piece of paper, and started looking through the computer.

"You don't know his address by heart?" Zell asked.

"Mr. Emaissyl is very private." Gietzen started writing down an address, and handed the paper to Zell. "Is Mr. Emaissyl in trouble?" Gietzen asked, concern in his voice.

"No." Zell read the paper. 148 Obel Lake Road, Beech River, Mandy Bay County. "He doesn't live in the city...?"

Gietzen shook his head.

"How do I get there?" Zell asked, keeping the paper between two fingers, the scales of his gloves making him feel a little guilty for chasing after Seifer like he was a criminal.

"Just take Forest Avenue through town, and eventually there will be an exit just after the Orangewood Hotel. It will say Mandy County and Galbadia on it. Just go that way, and eventually there will be a turnoff that says Obel Lake. It's about half an hour or 45 minutes away."

"Thanks." Zell nodded and walked towards downtown, finding a rental car place along Forest Avenue, which was the main drag of Timber. He rented a car as Gietzen's directions ran through his head. He drove down, looking for the hotel the clerk had said. Zell eventually saw it up on the right, and took the exit. As he drove away from Timber, the trees densely lined the road, and Zell could catch their scent in the air, the evergreens smelling so purely like nature, and very different from the smell of industry that permeated the city. Zell found the Obel Lake exit, and as he got farther from the city, it was no longer paved. Zell turned on the radio and started humming along with the songs, finding an oldies station to his liking. The drive itself was actually quite nice, and it wasn't something he'd expected from Seifer, just like the truck he'd been driving last night. Zell had always pictured Seifer Almasy being most at home in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Deling City, living in some downtown loft that overlooked the Presidential Palace, and eating at posh restaurants on a nightly basis. It was actually closer to an hour by the time Zell saw a sign that said 'Beech River'. In the other direction, it said 'Galbadia'. He turned right towards Beech River, seeing a few houses. There was a horse ranch up on the left, a farmer tilling a field on the right. Obel Lake Road finally appeared, just as Zell's windshield started to get dappled with rain. It only seemed like a few drops, and Zell paid attention to the radio, listening to the weather.

"It's 5 in the afternoon here in Timber, and we hope you're enjoying your work day. And now, here's the forecast," the female DJ said in a soothing voice. "Right now in Alraune, it's clouding over, the rain clouds moving in. The outer areas will start to see the rain now, and the precipitation will move into the city within the next couple of hours. Expect 2 or 3 millimetres. Temperatures will drop overnight...." Zell tuned out as he saw houses with a little more frequency. Though, they still each had large yards, nestled in among the forests. On the right, he could see the shining surface of Obel Lake peeking through the foliage. Because the houses were so far in from the road, their numbers were on their mailboxes, and he saw number 10, so he started looking for 14. He found it, seeing Emaissyl on the mailbox. Zell turned into the gravel driveway that wound through the trees, coming to a nicely situated house that was lovely looking, and again something that he hadn't pictured for Seifer. The truck was in the driveway, to Zell's enjoyment. It would have sucked to come out all this way for nothing.

He parked the car and got out, looking at the two story house. It wasn't huge, but it was bigger than his Ma's house in Balamb Town. It wasn't too big for just one person. Zell then wondered if Seifer lived out here with anyone. With Fujin? With a... lover?

He climbed up the sturdy porch steps, and knocked on the door. Seifer opened the door, wearing a grey T-shirt that was covered in paint splatters, and a pair of old jeans. His face showed shock. "Zell...?!" He composed himself, but it took a few moments. Zell waited patiently, feeling a few drops of water fall on the top of his head, being blown in under the porch by the wind. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

"I need to talk to you."

"About?" Seifer asked stiffly, still floored that Zell was on his doorstep.

"Raijin."

Seifer rolled his pale green eyes. "Oh, that again?"

"Yeah. That. Again." Zell put his hands on his hips. "I came all this way, so you might as well let me in."

"Why should I?" Seifer countered.

"Because I could call Squall right up and tell him your address." Zell pulled the piece of paper Gietzen had given him out of his pocket. "14 Obel Lake Road..." He started to read.

"All right, all right," the taller man hissed angrily, opening the screen door.

Zell looked around, the house feeling like a real home. It reminded him a little of the nice houses in Winhill with their wooden staircases and mouldings. It was also nicely decorated, with a purely masculine touch. You could tell no woman had a hand in furnishing the place, and yet everything matched and suited each other. Not just a man's touch. A gay man's touch. "Nice place."

"Cut the small talk, Chicken-Wuss."

"Squall's interested in finding you," Zell said smoothly, taking off his coat.

"What?" Seifer asked, though he'd clearly heard Zell.

"Where should I hang this?" Zell asked, holding out his coat, smiling at Seifer's discomfort.

Seifer took the coat and threw it onto the stairs. "Did you see Fujin?"

"She wasn't very talkative."

Seifer smirked, but it was with anger. "What, you think she'd just open up to you? Gimme a fucking break." Seifer walked down the hall into a living room. There were books lining the walls, as well as CDs and movies. He sat in an armchair, glaring up at Zell. He waved one hand. "Well, you might as well fucking sit down."

Zell did so, staring at Seifer for a long time.

"What?!" Seifer demanded angrily. "Did you come here just to stare at me?"

"I'm trying to be delicate!" Zell shot back. "I don't want to open raw wounds, but you're not making me feel sympathy for you when you're acting like such a cunt."

"Who said I wanted sympathy from you?" Seifer asked under his breath.

"Raijin's your friend!" Zell exclaimed with emotion. "It must hurt you to know he's doing Blackball!"

"Of course it does!" Seifer yelled. "But, I don't want to talk about it."

"Can you at least tell me about the drug itself?" The tattooed blonde asked, hearing rain gently pattering against the windows.

"You actually trust my opinion?" Seifer asked stiffly, staring at Zell intently. Besides Fujin, Zell was the only visitor to have recently come to Seifer's house. It felt a little strange to be talking to another man in his living room when he'd been so solitary for so long. And, Zell's concern and curiosity did look very genuine. But, there was still the problem that Zell could just go running off to his precious Squall and Squall as a visitor was something that Seifer didn't want. Squall, everyone's fucking golden boy.

"Yes," Zell answered instantly. "You have the same training that I do."

Seifer smirked, shrugging. "Probably better. After all, nobody but Quistis got higher on the SeeD exams than I did."

"Yeah," Zell mused. "You just couldn't pass the field exam."

The brunette's expression soured. "I can't really tell you about Blackball. I mean, it's been around for a while, but compared to other drugs, nobody gave a shit. It wasn't until Timber got all fucked up with it that anyone cared, including myself."

"Do you even know how it's made?"

"Easily," Seifer muttered. "Anyone with a little item knowledge can cook it up. It's probably as easy to make as crystal meth."

"So.... anyone could be doing it, really." Zell sighed. "I was hoping for more leads."

"Squall getting on your ass for results?" Seifer asked, one pale eyebrow cocked. He may have had the dark hair, but Zell could still see the other man's blondeness. "But, I guess he can't be bothered to do anything about it himself."

Zell frowned. "Sounds like you still have bitter feelings...."

Seifer glared at Zell. "There could be a million people in Timber making Blackball. You'll never be able to track it by manufacturer. Believe me, I tried."

"You tried?"

"Yes."

"Because of Raijin?"

"Yes." Seifer closed his eyes, feeling the defeat as if it had just happened. "We tried everything to get him to stop."

"How did he start?"

"We don't know. Don't you think Fujin and me asked ourselves that over and over again?!" Seifer got up and started pacing around. "Don't you think we asked ourselves that when Raijin started stealing to pay for the drug, when he started losing weight and talking to himself? When he brought strange people back to his apartment, and didn't sleep for days on end?"

Zell didn't dare interrupt. Seifer was finally talking to him, so if he stopped, Zell wasn't sure he'd start again. And, he also didn't know _what_ to say. Zell had seen a lot of Seifer's emotions growing up, but never this... helplessness.

"We tried to get him clean, we tried everything.... but, he just didn't want to stop."

"Were you ever curious.... about it?" Zell asked, hearing the rain getting a little louder.

"What, Blackball?"

Zell nodded, hands folded in his lap.

Seifer sat back down, flopping into the chair. "Even if I had been, seeing what Raijin had been reduced to because if it made me never want to touch it."

Zell thought of how horrible the formerly burly and healthy man had looked. "I know the feeling."

Seifer sighed heavily, the weight intense in his heart.

"I-I'm sorry," Zell stammered out.

"Fujin and Raijin were all I had," Seifer murmured quietly, talking more to himself than Zell. "To have to give up on him hurt."

Zell's brow furrowed, and he put a comforting hand on Seifer's knee, seeing how much pain this reminiscing was putting the other man through.

Seifer looked up, staring into Zell's eyes for a few moments, struck dumb by the feeling of another man touching him. It had been a long time... He then pushed Zell's hand away, snarling angrily. "I don't need your pity." He stood up, folding his arms over his chest.

"It's not pity!" Zell exclaimed angrily. "Can't you just accept some sympathy with some dignity or some fucking class!"

Seifer frowned angrily. "If you give any pity to Raijin, make no mistake that he'd kill you. He'd stab you in the back if it meant getting more Blackball."

Zell's shoulders slumped.

"And, you won't be fixing the problem. You think that you and Selphie can stop it? You think the ever-powerful Squall can stop it? Everyone may line up to praise him to the skies and suck his dick, but he's not Hyne reincarnated. He can't stamp out human nature. Especially when he knows nothing about it."

Zell's eyebrows raised as the anger in Seifer's voice when he spoke of Squall. "I didn't think you hated Squall this much, or that you hadn't gotten over things that happened a decade ago..."

"I don't hate Squall...." Seifer trailed off. "But, I have every right to think bitterly of him."

A light bulb suddenly went off in Zell's head. "Hey... um, if you're gay, what about your relationship with Rinoa?"

Seifer laughed then. "Relationship? What relationship?"

"Well, um..." Zell fidgeted a little. "She told us that one summer, you guys...."

"One summer?" Seifer's chuckles subsided. "Yeah, we hung out one summer, but it wasn't a _relationship._ Maybe Rinoa thought it was, but I sure didn't. I liked her and thought her interesting, but there was never anything between us." He became inwardly thoughtful. "Maybe in her own mind, she thought I was interested sexually in her."

"Really?" Zell asked.

"Yes, really!" The brunette snapped. "I wonder if Squall thinks I fucked his precious Rinoa, his shining angel. How they were meant to be together, and I'm just the dirty trash that tried to sully her good chastity." He made a disgusted, angry face.

The tattooed blonde thought of the bitterness in Squall's voice when he'd mentioned Seifer. Did Squall feel that same way about Seifer? Zell wanted to ask why Seifer felt so ill to Squall, but now didn't seem the time, since Zell was already walking a thin line with the other man. "Because you work at the forge, you know a lot about items. You must know what's in Blackball."

Seifer shook his head. "I wish I did. I've tried to crack the code, but...." He sighed. "I haven't tried in a long time, though. I haven't wanted to be anywhere near it." Seifer put his hands on his hips. "Look, I can't tell you anything about Blackball, Chicken-Wuss."

"Don't call me that!" Zell got up, glaring at Seifer. "Shit, Seifer. I'm not 17 anymore! I'm not Chicken-Wuss anymore!"

Seifer remained silent, though in his head, he did see this was true. But, Zell still gave him that same reaction that he'd always gotten a kick out of. "Why don't you run along home now..." Seifer trailed off, going to the door.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"What more can I tell you?!" Seifer demanded, spreading his hands out. "Please. Just go back to being a SeeD, and let me live in peace."

Zell opened his mouth to protest again, but saw that Seifer was determined. He angrily took his coat when it was offered to him, and opened the screen door. Outside was raining pretty hard.

"Shit," Seifer cursed.

"What?" Zell asked. "It's only a little rain. The radio only said 3 millimetres."

"That's 3 millimetres for _Timber_, Zell." Seifer closed the door again, taking Zell's coat. "The 118 will be washed out by now."

"The 118?"

"The road you took to get here." Seifer rolled his eyes behind his glasses. "You're stuck here, man."

"What?" Zell whined. "No way!"

"Too bad." Seifer laughed bitterly, opening the hall closet and hanging Zell's black leather jacket up. "Only you, Chicken-Wuss."

"Don't--" Zell grunted under his breath. "You asshole." He stamped his foot. "What am I going to do now?!"

"The road should be back to normal in a day or two."

"What?!"

Seifer laughed again. "You really haven't changed all that much."

Zell gave the other man the finger, flopping down on the couch in the living room, defeated.

"Don't worry about it," Seifer said smoothly. "I have lots of food and hot water."

"You're not going to make me live in my car?" Zell asked dully.

"I may be an asshole, but I'm not _that _much of an asshole," Seifer murmured, going into the kitchen. "Want a beer or something?"

"Sure...."

Seifer brought out two bottles of a good beer imported from Fisherman's Horizon. "You think anyone will be worried about you?"

"Yeah, Selphie will probably wonder where I am." Zell took a drink of the beer, nodding. "It's good." He looked around. "Where am I going to sleep?"

"You can sleep in my bed," Seifer said, staring out at the rain. "Hmm, seems like a bad one."

"Your bed...?" Zell squeaked out, feeling a flush go through his entire body, thinking of Seifer's hands all over his flesh....

"Oh, don't get so flustered, Zell. I'll be sleeping down here." Seifer rolled his eyes. "Just because we're both gay doesn't mean we'll automatically have sex."

Zell's lips parted in absolute shock, and he felt like he'd taken a blow to the solar plexus as Seifer got up, walking out of the living room. The other man's voice called from the kitchen. "You like pasta?" Zell's lips trembled, and he couldn't move. But.... how had Seifer known.....?! He got up, walking into the kitchen like a zombie. It was a very airy room, black on cherry finished wood. "What did you say?" Zell asked stupidly, staring at Seifer, and at the same time staring somewhere beyond him, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Oh, come on Zell. I could see it in you."

"See what....?" Zell cocked his head, not being able to bring in enough oxygen.

"That you were the same as me. I can still see that fear, that lie in your eyes." Seifer shrugged, pulling some things out of a pantry. "Because it's still in me. I don't mean staying in the closet, because after Time Compression, with everyone cursing my name... well, it's not like they could hate me any more than they did, so what was the point of hiding it? But, I can see you hiding it still."

"How long have you known....?" Zell chocked out.

"Always," Seifer said quietly, no malice or teasing in his words.

"What are you lying about, then?"

Seifer groaned. "God you're stupid, Zell.... about _myself_. I haven't gone by the name Seifer Almasy in a long time."

"People really hated you that much?"

Seifer narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, they did."

Zell and Seifer fell into an awkward silence as the taller man prepared dinner for them. They also ate it in silence, not finding much to say to each other. Both felt rather unsure, though Zell did comment that the pasta with its wild mushroom sauce was quite good.

"So, um.... why did you start the shop?" Zell asked, wanting to make small talk, wanting to fill the silence, and yet wanting to talk about anything other than Seifer's knowledge of his sexuality.

"Oh... about six or seven years ago. It seemed a good thing to do."

"Well, you did a good job on my gloves."

"Thank you." Zell could see that Seifer was pleased with the praise. He even _blushed_ a little.

"What did you do before that?"

"Nothing," Seifer muttered after swallowing a mouthful of food. "I was homeless."

"You were?"

"Well, Fujin and Raijin let me stay with them... this was long before he got addicted to Blackball. Anyway, I couldn't get a job because nobody wanted to hire Seifer Almasy, the Sorceress's Whore." He spat out the word Sorceress like it was poison. He hated even the sound of that word now. "I couldn't even get an apartment. No landlord wanted my taint around. I mean, I couldn't stay with them forever, so I just started wandering. I would come back to Timber once and a while just so they knew I was still alive, but I camped out, and basically just drifted around."

Zell listened to Seifer's story with interest, not daring to interrupt.

"I had Hyperion, and I would kill monsters for food, and use their skin for blankets and warmth. And, I started keeping the items, just in case I needed them. I'd always been good at Alchemy in Garden, so I knew which items were good, and which were shit. When I would go back to Timber, I would sell of the items that I had too many of. It's not like it made me a millionaire, but even 10 gil at the time was a lot of money to me. Eventually, I started wandering to more remote places, and I started getting more rare items. I upgraded Hyperion, and it just seemed a natural next step. I would fix up Fujin's shuriken and Raijin's staff, and they started recommending me to Timber Police friends of theirs, as well as ex-Galbadian Army guys that they knew. It just snowballed from there. So, I run the shop, going in at night, and I travel around and get items."

"Sounds wonderful," Zell mused.

Seifer cocked an eyebrow, surprised. He hadn't meant to talk so much to Zell, but it actually felt _nice._ Nice to have the company of another man - of anyone, really. "Really?" He asked, a little surprised. "I figured you would think it was kind of retarded... I mean, it's nowhere near as glamorous as being SeeD, after all." He felt a little wistful. Continuously failing the SeeD exam had always been a sore spot for Seifer, especially the way he'd failed the last one. Everyone else had ridden his failure to glory, including Zell, and _especially_ Squall.

"No, it sounds great. So free. You get to travel wherever you want, see the world. You're your own boss."

"What, you don't get enough excitement living the life of a mercenary?"

"Try a teacher," Zell admitted as Seifer cleared the table. They had another beer, sitting across from each other. "I teach martial arts and practical anatomy."

"Impressive," Seifer admitted.

"I guess."

"What, you don't like it?"

"I do," Zell said. "But, most students only take martial arts as secondary. Lots of them would rather learn gunblading."

"Really?" Seifer asked a little bitterly.

"Yeah. They all want to be like Squall."

"Of course."

Zell frowned. "What, you wish they wanted to be like you?"

"No," Seifer admitted. "It just pisses me off that all these kids want to be like Squall and learn gunblade, when he doesn't even have a passion for it. Sure, he's good at it, but he could have just as easily chosen a gun or martial arts or a sword. He only chose gunblade because it was difficult to master."

"And, you chose it because it felt right?"

"Exactly. Everyone pushed us into a rivalry because we were the only two who chose it as a specialty."

"I thought there was a rivalry because you hated each other."

"I don't _hate_ Squall. Not too much, anyway. There are just a lot of things about him that... irk me." Seifer shrugged. "I guess I shouldn't talk about your best friend like that."

Zell sighed. "I guess he's my best friend."

"You don't sound too sure. With Fujin, I know she's my best friend, and I'd never doubt it. You should feel that way, too."

"I feel more that way about Selphie than Squall. Early this morning, we had a conference with Squall, and he didn't even notice that I was sick."

"You were?" Seifer asked. "You look healthy to me."

"Ifrit was acting up."

Seifer made a thoughtful noise.

"What?"

"Oh, just that your GF is acting funny....."

"What?" Zell asked again.

"Just that mine's been a little restless, too."

"You have a GF?" Zell asked, surprised. The rain was still pounding against the windows, sounding like the starts of a real flood.

"Yeah," Seifer murmured. "I have to fight monsters to get items, Zell." He said it like it was obvious, and made Zell feel a little stupid. "You use a Fury Fragment as your junction item?"

Zell nodded. To junction a GF, one had to have an 'icon' item as it was called. An item that had been graced with the Summon's power. When that item was touched and the proper magic channels were opened through incantation, that's how the GF was junctioned to the user. In Ifrit's case, his icon was a Fury Fragment that his power had blessed. In Selphie's case, she had a Cactuar needle.

"I found a crystal in Trabia while I was hunting Mesmerizes there. When I picked it up, I knew it was an icon item."

"Which GF?"

"Tiamat."

"Tiamat?!" Zell echoed. "I didn't think it was a Summon. After all, it was in Ultime-"

"Don't say that name!" Seifer shouted. But, it wasn't out of anger. There was real fear in his eyes. "Please."

"I'm sorry," Zell apologized quickly.

"In... that time, Tiamat isn't a GF anymore, but that's so many millennia in the future. Now, she still is, though not a very powerful one. But, she serves my purposes, and is a good fighting companion." Seifer shrugged.

"Interesting." Zell got the distinct feeling that Seifer would have rather talked about Raijin all day long than even mention Ultimecia's name. He had no clue what Seifer had gone through while under her power, but Edea had only skirted around the issue, so it obviously hadn't been pretty. He looked out the window and saw it was very dark. "Holy shit, how long have we been talking?" He looked at his watch. It was around midnight. "So, I guess you can't go to the store tonight."

"That's okay." Seifer shrugged. "It will still be there, like it always is after a hard rain." Seifer stood, ushering for Zell to follow him. "I'll show you where you'll sleep." They climbed the stairs, and Zell felt a little nervous stepping into Seifer's bedroom. It filled his mind with images of what Seifer would look like in various states of undress.

Seifer opened a door in the hall, pulling out some towels and a few blankets. He gave the towels to Zell, and kept the blankets for himself. Now, he was regretting turning his second bedroom into a weight room, for his couch was nice, but wasn't meant for sleeping. The thought of a man sleeping in his bed did, in truth, make Seifer feel warm. It was true what Seifer had said to his houseguest earlier. Just because they were both gay, that didn't mean that they would fall into bed together. But, Seifer could still appreciate Zell's nicely muscled body, pale eyes and face that bordered between handsome and cute. It was also true that he'd always known Zell was gay. He'd seen so much of himself in Zell's eyes when the shorter blonde had tried to hide that he was staring at cute boys. Seifer had made fun of Zell for a lot of things during their time at Garden, but that had never been one of them. It would have been crossing a line. "The bathroom's just right in here. Help yourself. There are some disposable razors in there if you need to shave."

"... thanks," Zell stammered, looking at Seifer and feeling heat in his cheeks. Would it be too bold to ask Seifer to stay and fuck him? Just fuck his brains out, and make him feel desired just for a night? But, no... he couldn't. Seifer went back downstairs, and Zell went into Seifer's bedroom, sitting on the edge of the king sized bed. He took off his pants and socks, staying in his T-shirt and boxers. He had only gotten a few hours sleep earlier that day, so he was pretty wiped out. Zell lay in the bed, the large mattress dwarfing his... petite frame. The sheets smelled clean, and like home. Seifer used the same detergent as Ma. That wasn't really strange, since it was a very common and popular brand, but it was still nice to smell that familiarity. And, there was also the smell of Seifer there, too. Masculine and classic. He stared up at the ceiling, thinking of all that Seifer had told him, but his thoughts became jumbled, and he lost the ability to really concentrate. He couldn't even really remember falling asleep, because it happened so quickly.


	3. Chapter 3

****

Three

Zell slowly woke up, smelling familiar detergent and something watery. When he opened his pale blue eyes, he expected to be in his bedroom in Balamb Town, but that wasn't the case. He also smelled something masculine in the sheets, other than himself. He looked across the bed, wondering if he'd fallen into a one-night stand with some random stranger, but he was alone. Then, he remembered the rain. It wasn't the oceans of Balamb that he was smelling. It was the heavy forest rains of Timber, and the masculine scent in the sheets was that of Seifer.

Zell sat up, the sheets pooling around his hips, wondering where Seifer was, exactly, wondering if the roads were better today. He slowly got up, feeling a little nervous about being in Seifer's house, in Seifer's bed, even though they hadn't shared it. He opened the door, poking his head out. But, he could only hear silence. So, he went into the bathroom, relieving himself and having a quick shower, hands pressed to the tiles as he let the hot water stream down his back, his mind thinking of all the times that Seifer would have also been in this shower. Zell willed himself not to think about that. This situation was already awkward enough, and Zell getting infatuated with Seifer would only make it worse.

He put a towel around his waist, going back into the bedroom as he ran his fingers through his wet blonde hair. He noticed a small pile of clothing on the dresser which hadn't been there last night. Seifer must have left it for him. Zell noticed that the pants were all shorts. Seeing as how Seifer was much taller than he was, pants fit for Seifer's long legs wouldn't fit Zell's smaller frame. The gesture struck Zell as very sweet and thoughtful, so unlike the Seifer that Zell had known so long ago. He started to dress in the clothes left for him, looking out the window casually, seeing the dense treetops, though there was cleared land around Seifer's house. The backyard had gardens off to the side. One had ferns and in the summer, would have had flowers. The other was a vegetable garden, though it looked a little barren now because of the cooler weather coming in. Soon there would be snow, for the autumn rains had already started.

As Zell pulled the T-shirt over his head, the smell of detergent and Seifer coming from the soft fabric, he saw the man himself outside in the backyard. Zell watched from behind the sheer curtains as Seifer fought invisible enemies, practiced and shadowboxed. Seifer had his gunblade out, the familiar Hyperion, and moved it as if it were merely an extension of his body, the way a true professional with the weapon used it. Seifer also moved with the fluidity of a trained martial artist, his fists and feet just as much a weapon as his blade. Zell watched Seifer move with knowledge, like he was watching one of his students back at Garden. Seifer was using a form of martial arts called Pi Qua Quan, known for its circular hand motions and lack of a fist. It was a very graceful school of martial arts, full of flexible movements that were elegant, and yet very strong and deadly. Seifer's long limbs just made it look all the more beautiful, and coupled with the use of his gunblade, Zell was transfixed. Over the years, Zell had a couple of students who wanted to learn the 'cutting hand', the 'windmill' movements of Pi Quan, but it was a difficult to master, and the students would have never been able to show as much grace and mastery as Seifer was showing. Even Zell himself found it a hard school because of his shorter limbs.

Zell also watched how Seifer used his weapon, how differently he used it compared to Squall. Squall always used his gunblade with two hands for a more powerful downward thrust, whereas Seifer was almost strictly one-handed. Zell noticed that both his hands would come together for a quick upward cut, but then he would go to a one-handed stance once more. Zell knew from picking up Squall's gunblade a couple times that it was a very heavy weapon, and the muscles of Seifer's forearm and his biceps showed strain in holding up that weight with just his wrist, and not only that, but using the heavy weapon so effortlessly. It made Zell think of something Seifer said last night, about Squall having no passion for the gunblade, and merely choosing it because it was a difficult weapon to master, and how Seifer had known always that it was for him. It showed in his movements.

The tattooed blonde became transfixed for another reason. Seifer stopped his movements like a cat, no forward stumbling or continuation of momentum, and he took a couple of breaths, lifting the hem of his T-shirt to mop his sweaty forehead. It gave Zell a glimpse from his voyeuristic position of Seifer's rock-hard abdomen, with its defined and rigid muscles. His track pants were also fitted on his hips, so the cut lines of his groin muscles were also displayed. A small trail of hair disappeared into his pants, showing he was not a real brunette. Seifer was also wearing his glasses, too. Zell had wondered if the spectacles were for disguise only, like the hair, but if Seifer wore them when he was alone, then he must have needed them. Seifer was splattered a little with mud from the wet, soggy ground, and Zell's mind went into overdrive with homoerotic fantasy. How graceful and masculine Seifer was, how sexy his face was when it was completely set with concentration, the way the muscles of his back moved under the thin black fabric of his T-shirt, the prowess with which he moved.

Seifer stopped, wiping at his brow again, his shirt going a little higher, Zell watching as Seifer's pectoral muscles glistened with sweat. Zell stared at Seifer's chest, at his nipples, as his navel. The tall man dropped his shirt once more, and Zell noticed that he put his hand to his back, and seemed to be under some strain. He winced, but kept going. Zell put on a pair of the baggy shorts, and went downstairs after he saw Seifer wince again. Was he okay?

When Zell went to the back door, which opened into a small sunroom off the kitchen. There were a lot of plants in here, probably brought inside with the cold nights. Zell went out onto the porch, finding it actually quite warm outside. Seifer was leaning his weight on his gunblade, hand on one hip, panting a little.

"You have good form," Zell said, crossing his arms, meaning it in terms of Seifer's martial arts skills, and more subtly about his body. "You've seemed to master Pi Quan."

Seifer hoisted Hyperion up on his shoulder. Something deep in him was thrilled by Zell wearing his T-shirt. "Praise for me coming from a Garden Instructor? I think that's a first."

"You seem to have gotten better with your gunblade, too."

Seifer shrugged, but was moved by the compliments. He hoped he wasn't blushing. "Well, I've had practice." He swung Hyperion down, pointing the tip at Zell's chin. "Wanna spar?"

"With your gunblade, don't you think that's a little unmatched?"

"Scared, Chicken-Wuss?" Seifer winked and gave a taunting smile.

Zell angrily pursed his lips. "You wish, fucker." Zell knocked the blade out of the way, and dashed towards his opponent, kicking at his wrist to get Seifer to drop his weapon. It worked, and Zell punched Seifer in the gut. He didn't want to give too many heavy blows, because they were only sparring, not a real fight. Seifer reeled backwards, but his left hand to slice down on Zell's shoulder, and then his left to cuff him under the chin. Zell started to fall backwards, but swept at Seifer's legs with his own. They both toppled down onto the muddy ground. Both men were up quickly, circling each other. Zell caught Seifer up in a quick combination of punches and kicks, which made Seifer fall to the ground. But, he didn't just lay there. He shoulder-rolled towards Hyperion, but Zell was quicker, stomping on Seifer's wrist, getting a hand around the other man's throat.

"You got me," Seifer grunted after a few moments of glaring at Zell. He then kicked out, his right leg kicking Zell's knee, his left pushing the smaller man backwards. He caught up his gunblade and pressed the blade to Zell's throat. "At least only briefly."

Zell snorted, wiping mud off his face. "Not bad," he admitted jerkily as Seifer pulled the blade away. "I got you, though." He touched his own nose.

Seifer reached up, his fingers coming back with a little blood. He wiped the blood away, offering a dirty, muddy hand to Zell.

Zell looked at the hand, but then took it as Seifer helped him to his feet. Their fingers lingered together for a moment, before Seifer wiped his hand on his shirt. "You're good," Seifer said lowly. "But, that's to be expected from a SeeD."

Zell snorted, wiping his own face with the hem of the now very dirty shirt. As Zell had watched Seifer's form before, Seifer was now the one doing the glimpsing. Though Zell was short and would be considered petite in stature, the chest and abdomen that was briefly flashed were... amazing. Seifer let out his breath shakily, trying to remember the last time his fingers had run over the hard muscles of another man's torso. "I'm a little rusty," Zell admitted ruefully. Seifer looked away, concentrating on cleaning his gunblade. "I haven't gotten to do much fighting lately, at least not outside teaching a bunch of dorky pre-teens how to kick each other in the nuts."

Seifer laughed. "Sounds like an ideal job, then. So, you don't go on missions that much anymore?"

"Try not at all." Zell frowned, putting his hands on his hips. "But, that's the way it goes."

Seifer frowned a little. "What's the good of being a SeeD if you're put on the shelf?" He shrugged. "I guess Headmaster Cid doesn't appreciate what he has in his arsenal."

Zell said nothing.

"So, are you hungry? I don't have any hot dogs, kiddo. You'll have to settle for something else."

"Have you heard what the roads are like?"

Seifer shook his head, going inside. He took off his dirty shirt, and put it in a basket near the door. Zell tried not to look, because he knew he would get aroused. "We can walk down there if you like." Seifer was about to shut the sunroom door, but stopped when he heard something. A squeaking noise. "Shit," he cursed under his breath.

"What?" Zell asked, cocking his head and looking outside. He then heard the noise too, and saw a small green thing outside near the gardens. "A cactuar?!" He asked, confused. Cactuars were native to deserts, definitely not Timber.

"That little bastard," Seifer hissed, going outside. He quietly slunk towards the cactuar that was doing its typical dance near some ferns, staring at Seifer with its perpetual look of surprise.

"What's a cactuar doing here?" Zell asked quietly, staying close to Seifer, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"Shhhh." Seifer took silent steps towards the small creature, getting within arm's reach of the thing. It made a squeaking noise, then jumped up in the air, making a noise that Zell guessed was angry. It shot out a few needles and took off into the dense trees.

"Dammit!" Seifer cursed. He'd tried to dodge the needles, but had failed. He carefully pulled them out of his skin, but instead of throwing them away, he kept them, going back into the house.

"What's a cactuar doing here?" Zell asked again as they went into the kitchen. Zell had just had a shower, but he needed another one. Seifer opened a door, and turned on a light. Zell saw a staircase.

"I was hunting monsters in the Galbadian desert about five months ago, and when I was unloading things from the back of my truck, that cactuar popped out and went into the woods. I've been trying to catch him ever since." Seifer went into a large basement, and Zell was amazed to see jars lined up on the shelves. It looked like a pantry, except that Items lined the shelves. Seifer found a jar with cactuar needles in them, and put the few he'd collected inside. "Cactuar needles are hard to come by, so if I caught that little shit, I could get more." He sighed, turning to face Zell.

"Wow," Zell said lowly, looking around. "You have a lot of items. Why so many here? Why aren't they at the store?"

"Because I have to research these ones." Seifer went back upstairs, waiting for Zell to join him before turning off the light and closing the door. "I have to keep learning about items and how they react to other items. I even created a computer program that helps it along."

"Really?" Zell asked, sitting at the kitchen's island as Seifer started to root through the cupboards, Zell's eyes intently on Seifer's bare back, on the male muscles there, how his skin was still splattered with dried mud....

"Well, I can make some chicken, but it has to thaw. You can have another shower and we can walk down to the highway and see what kind of shape it's in."

"What about you?" Zell asked, so distracted by Seifer's body that the Ragnarok could have landed in the kitchen, and he wouldn't have noticed. "You need a shower too."

"Haven't you ever heard of being a good host?" Seifer asked, pulling the chicken out of the freezer.

"Uh, well.... um, thanks." He went back upstairs and had a very fast shower, dressing in some more clothes that Seifer had left out for him. Seifer then had a fast shower, and he dressed quickly. He gave Zell one of his coats because even though it was getting closer to noon now, it was getting colder.

"Thanks," Zell said quietly, zipping the coat up. It was too big for him, but it was nice and warm, and it smelled like Seifer. Zell stared off into space, not wanting to look at the other man as they got ready to check out the road. He didn't want to look because spending this much time with Seifer was making him think sexual thoughts, and he just couldn't do that. There were just too many reasons why it would never work out, and even if it was a one-night stand, this was Seifer Almasy, someone that Zell couldn't just forget about.

"So, what's Garden like now?" Seifer asked as they started walking down the street. Seifer hadn't brought his gunblade, but he still had a pair of survival knives on him.

"The same," Zell muttered with a shrug. "Squall and Quistis help out a lot."

"Squall does Headmaster duties now?" Seifer asked, bitter. Shit, wasn't there anything that Squall couldn't fall ass-backwards into? He never strove to achieve any of the things he'd succeeded at, and yet... here he was, grooming to be Headmaster of Balamb Garden, controlling all of SeeD. He could see it of Quistis, since she had always been rather administrative, and worked hard. Seifer wondered if Quistis had the same bitterness growing in her towards Squall. Had she yet noticed how he just got everything handed to him on a silver platter, while everyone else around him had to work their asses off to get passed over for those very same things?

"You got pretty quiet," Zell noted. "Thinking about Squall again, huh?"

Seifer scowled, not liking that Zell had been able to know what he was thinking. "Not bad, Chicken-Wuss."

"Why do you have to be such an asshole?" He ground out, stamping his foot. He noticed that Seifer wasn't taking very long strides. "So, did you injure yourself?"

"Huh?"

"When I saw you working out, you winced. Did you overdo it?"

"Hmmm? No. It's nothing."

"Come on. You don't have to be ashamed about pulling a muscle."

"It was from sleeping on the couch," Seifer admitted.

"The couch?"

Seifer grunted. "It's a nice couch, but it's not made for sleeping."

"You should have made me sleep on it," Zell stated. "I'm shorter than you are."

"Like I said, it would have been bad manners."

Zell rolled his eyes. "You're so weird, Seifer. Sometimes you're a total jerk, and then others.... you're really sweet."

Seifer looked away, not wanting to show that Zell's praise made him embarrassed. "Do you live at Garden, or do you commute?" Seifer asked after a while.

"I live at Garden."

"Oh. Well... I guess that means you get all the hot dogs you want."

"I don't eat hot dogs anymore," Zell admitted.

Seifer looked at the other man like he said he was Hyne reincarnated. "What?!"

Zell just shrugged. "I had a.... bad experience."

"What, did you get a taste of cock and find that hot dogs are a poor substitute?" Seifer asked with a chuckle. "The way you used to shovel those things in your mouth.... I'm surprised everyone didn't clue into your gayness."

Zell gave Seifer a raspberry and picked up an errant stick that was laying near his feet. Both men were walking in the middle of the road. It's not like any cars were coming, anyway. He started using it as a walking stick, jauntily swinging it. "About 8 years ago, I got a huge plate of hot dogs, and ate about...." Zell trailed off, closing one eye as he thought. "Oh, at least fifteen of them. No, wait... maybe it was twenty. So anyway, an hour or two later, I started to feel very sick. Wound up with food poisoning."

Seifer couldn't help but laugh.

"It's not funny!" Zell exclaimed angrily. "I was sick for like three weeks. I couldn't get out of bed, and I always seemed to have to make the choice of if I wanted to shit myself, or throw up on myself, because it was coming out both ends."

Seifer started laughing harder, holding his stomach.

"I lost 30 pounds!" Zell exclaimed. "And, cleaning up liquid shit isn't fun!"

Seifer completely lost it, laughing so hard that he couldn't breathe.

"Shut up, Seifer!" Zell whacked the other man in the butt with his makeshift walking stick.

"Ow, ow!" Seifer exclaimed, elbowing Zell in the ribs. He then stopped to catch his breath. "Ow, my side." He rubbed his hip, which had gotten sore with the violence of his laughter. "Only you, Zell." His laughter subsided.

"So, after that I haven't been able to eat them. It just brings up... ugly flashbacks."

Seifer pointed. "We can see the 118 good from over there." They went up a side road, that cut up the side of a hill, which was actually a cliff.

Zell saw with dismay that the 118 was washed out, and didn't look like it would open today. "Fuck."

"You can stay at my place as long as you need."

"Selphie's probably called out a search party," Zell muttered, putting his hands in the pockets of Seifer's coat.

"It should be better by tomorrow." Seifer cocked his head back to the road. "Want to head back now?"

"I guess." They started to walk back, going a little slower than they had before. "So, how long have you had Tiamat?" Zell asked.

"A while. I don't junction her all the time. Like, I don't have her now. I just use her when I'm going out to get items."

"Where do you go to get them?"

"Everywhere."

Zell sighed.

"Don't worry about the road," Seifer said.

"It's not that. Just that you get to go all over the world. You get to go to the Kashkabald Desert, and then the next day, you might be sailing Fisherman's Horizon's waters. You can see the old buildings of Dollet, and then the futurism of Esthar."

Seifer jerked a little. "I.... I haven't been to Esthar."

"You haven't?" Zell asked, a little surprised. "Why not?" He noticed that Seifer looked very disturbed. "Oh... because that's where Squall's dad is?"

The brunette snorted. "Laguna Loire has nothing to do with it. Actually... I'd really like to meet him." Seifer's voice lowered a little bit.

Zell cocked an eyebrow. "What, you have a thing for him or something?"

"No," said the other man, rolling his eyes. "I just admire him, that's all. He was in a lot of movies that I liked as a kid."

"Right, all those Sorceress movies...." Zell then noticed that Seifer visibly jerked at the mention of the word 'Sorceress'. "Oh... so, that's why you haven't gone to Esthar. Because it's the City of the Sorceress."

Seifer nodded stiffly.

"But, Esthar continent has a lot of good monsters for items."

"Oh, I've been to the continent. I just haven't set foot in the city."

"Have you been to Centra?" Zell asked. "I've always wanted to go and see the new towns sprouting there. Matron's had a lot to do with building it up."

Seifer jerked again, and Zell became concerned. "I know for a fact that you haven't contacted Matron. She asks about you once in a while."

"Yeah, well I don't want to see her!" Seifer snapped, starting to walk a little faster.

"Why not?" Zell asked.

"Why not?!" Seifer whirled around to look at the other man. "Why the fuck do you think? Maybe because I can still hear her voice at night. Maybe it's because of her that I had to change my name!"

"That wasn't Edea. That was Ultimecia."

Seifer looked as if Zell had slapped him, and his heart stopped in his chest. He got very close to Zell, and said in a hissing whisper. "Don't you _ever_ mention that name to me again." He whirled around and started walking very quickly back towards his house.

"Seifer!" Zell called, but the other man didn't slow down. He started to jog to catch up, but stopped when he heard something rustling around in the woods. Out of the trees popped a cockatrice, something that Zell didn't concern himself over too much. It started to make a crowing noise, and he just kept going. After all, those things were weak as all sin. He heard Seifer's footsteps running down the gravel road, and then he was pushed off to the side as where he'd been standing was hit by a fierce bolt of lightning. It left an ashy smear on the road, a spot that was smoking. That could have killed Zell. He furrowed his brow, on his ass on the muddy road, looking up at Seifer with confusion.

Seifer pulled out his survival knives, watching as the cockatrice bobbed its head up and down, warbling. Seifer had to duck as it tried to do a stone attack, but then he moved forward, slashing at the bird. It dodged out of the way, but Seifer was still able to cut off its left wing. That injured it, but it also just made it angry. It hopped around, off balance because of its missing wing. It moved towards Zell, who was standing up, watching the bird with mild confusion. Seifer got the bird with a good kick, sending it sprawling into the mud. He hadn't junctioned Tiamat, so he was fucked as far as using magic went. "Zell, you have Ifrit?" He called.

"Y-yeah....?" Zell was still confused. Why was Seifer so worried about a small little cockatrice? And, how had it been able to call such a strong lightning spell...?

"Then, get in here and fucking help me!" Seifer ground angrily, slicing at the bird once more. But, it moved quickly, and Seifer missed. He hated cockatrices and their stupid high evasion. "You got haste on you?" He asked Zell as the shorter blonde punched at the bird a couple times. It crowed angrily, stumbling backwards. Good to know the gloves Seifer had made for Zell were proving to be effective. They fought together for the first time since that failure of a mission in Dollet, the mission that had rocketed Squall and the others into stardom, and had left Seifer as a total loser. As Zell stunned the bird with a good kick right in the beak, Seifer put his hands together, the blades of his survival knives flush, and he crouched down, slicing upwards. The knives went up into the bird's skull, and he quickly pulled away before he could cast stone on him as it died. The spell hit nothing but air, and the cockatrice died.

"Hyne, Zell!" Seifer shouted angrily, wiping the blood off his knives before re-sheathing them. "Are you fucking brain dead or something?!"

"Why was it so strong? It was only a cockatrice."

Seifer looked at the other man with disbelief. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Zell made an exasperated face. "I don't understand...." He trailed off as Seifer cupped the sides of his face and wiped some cockatrice blood of his cheeks.

"You're a SeeD, Zell.... you must be aware of how strong monsters are, right?"

"It's not something we've really looked at."

Seifer laughed in complete shock. "They've only gotten more powerful over the last ten years. God, what do SeeD do all day?!" He shook his head.

"We were aware of some of the more powerful monsters becoming too hard for people to deal with, but not casual monsters. Bite bugs are a little stronger on Balamb, but not like that cockatrice."

"Monsters around here have been getting a lot stronger in the past five years or so." Seifer kept Zell's face between his gloved hands, looking into Zell's pale eyes, and feeling very suddenly intimate with him. Fighting beside someone always did that to you. It was the adrenaline, the rush of the moment. Had Zell ever felt this close to Squall when they were fighting side-by-side? Had Zell ever thought of kissing Squall, like Seifer was thinking of kissing Zell now? It seemed kind of ironic that Seifer had said last night that just because they were both gay, they didn't have to fall into bed together, but that's exactly where his mind kept going. He wondered if Zell was thinking it too...

Indeed, Zell was thinking it. He was thinking of how long it had been since a man had touched him like this, and even though it was Seifer Almasy of all men, how good it felt. And, he also wondered how he'd never noticed how beautiful Seifer was, how his eyes were a perfect peridot green, how his hands felt flanking the sides of his face.... Seifer cleared his throat, purposely breaking the moment. He stepped back from Zell, looking at him. "I can't believe you weren't prepared for the monsters here, Zell. It shows great stupidity on Garden's part."

Zell sighed. "I have to agree."

"No arguing and stamping your foot?" Seifer asked with a pale eyebrow cocked.

"No," Zell answered stiffly. "I do agree with you. It was careless of me, but also careless of Squall, Quistis and Headmaster Cid."

Seifer gasped cruelly. "Someone second guessing Squall?! _Never_!"

Zell couldn't help but frown and roll his eyes. "Do you really think that Squall still gives a shit about your rivalry?!" He asked angrily, feeling he should defend his friend's name.

"I do," Seifer muttered, picking up the cockatrice's corpse, carrying it by the neck. "Do you think he would really forget that I was the one who gave Rinoa to Adel?"

Zell opened his mouth to protest as they walked back to Seifer's house. But, he knew it was true. That's not something Squall would ever forget, or forgive, even if Rinoa had both forgiven and forgotten. Seifer kept the body of the cockatrice at his side. Probably so he could take it apart and get items. It made Zell feel a little ashamed that Seifer had to save his butt. He was supposed to be a SeeD. It's not that he wasn't grateful to Seifer, but it made him feel inadequate. Though Seifer wasn't SeeD, he had been the more capable fighter. He'd always been a more than capable fighter, and it hadn't been his strength, fighting skills, or intelligence that had made him fail his SeeD exams. It had been his lack of ability to follow rules.

"Seifer....?" Zell asked quietly.

"What?" He replied, voice low.

"Are you... happy?"

Seifer cocked his head as they went down his road, their feet kicking up gravel. "I...." He shrugged. "I don't know. Nobody's ever asked me." They went up his driveway. "Are you?"

Zell thought for a long time. "No."

"Me, neither. I mean, I love my job, and the store is great. And, I have my own house that I built with my own hands... I'm proud of that."

"You built it?" Zell asked, agog.

"Yeah." Seifer smirked, liking catching Zell off-guard. "And, I like learning about items. But.... I couldn't be called happy." They got to the house, and took off shoes and coats. Seifer washed up, and started to unwrap the chicken he'd left on the counter to thaw.

"Because of having to be someone else?" Zell asked rhetorically. "Because you have to lie about your name?"

"Not only that," Seifer answered quietly.

"What, then?"

Seifer shrugged. "Nothin'. What about you. Why aren't you happy? You're a SeeD from Balamb Garden. You have everything."

"Sure, I have a cushy job and a measure of respect and power, but... that's not everything." Zell sat at the island, watching Seifer's back. "I'm.... I'm bored. I want to go on missions again. I want to travel again."

"You travelled here, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but it's the first time I've left Garden in a long time. I miss what it used to be like... chasing Sorceresses around the world, fighting everything that they could throw at us. It made me feel useful, and alive...." He stopped himself, sighing.

"There's more."

"I...." Zell looked up as Seifer turned around. "I'm lonely," Zell admitted, not knowing why he was saying this to the other man. Maybe because he also saw that sad burn of solitude in Seifer's eyes. It was like how Seifer said he'd been able to see the repressed homosexuality in Zell's eyes when they were students. Well, Zell could see similarities between them now. Both of them liars about something. Zell about his sexual preference, Seifer about his identity.

"Well, you have your mother and your friends," Seifer pointed out as he started up the stove. "You're not totally alone."

"It's not the same, and you know it."

Seifer turned around, and he and Zell shared a look of pure understanding. Understanding because Seifer knew exactly what Zell was saying. Seifer may have had Fujin in his life, and he loved her to death, but it wasn't the same. She could never be what Seifer really wanted, just like he was sure someone like Quistis or Selphie, or even Squall, couldn't be what Zell really wanted. Seifer broke their gaze first, because it was starting to feel a little too intimate. Even if Seifer's mind was being plagued with Zell's merits and images of what it would be like to have him in so many ways, he pushed them away. It may have felt nice to fantasize about Zell's body like this, and it may have felt nice to talk to him like this, but it could never happen. Zell was SeeD, and Seifer didn't want that part of himself to come crashing down again. He didn't want to face Squall again, didn't want to face Edea again. He hated himself for being so fucking cowardly, and yet that's what he was; a coward. He started putting the chicken into a stir-fry, his fists resting on the counter as hatred for himself washed over him. Seeing Zell again just brought up all that he was running from, all that he'd gone through after Time Compression....

Zell noticed that Seifer became very quiet, and almost looked like he was in pain. Had the cockatrice hurt him? He went closer to Seifer, hands hovering around the other man's shoulder, but not quite touching him. "Are you okay?" Zell finally asked, his voice barely a whisper. His hand gently came to rest on Seifer's shoulder.

Seifer jerked when Zell's hand touched him, and he looked down into the other man's eyes. In that instant, Zell knew that there was nothing physically wrong with Seifer, at least nothing he couldn't handle. It was all emotional baggage, and Zell was once again reminded that Seifer wasn't the one-dimensional figure of a bully that Zell had thought him as a child. He also wasn't the one-dimensional figure of murdering Sorceress's Knight that everyone else had thought him. How could he have felt this close to someone simply by looking into their eyes? They both looked away at the same time, feeling the tension in the air. Seifer concentrated on their lunch, whereas Zell went back to the island, sitting on his stool and stared at his hands. He would have to clean his new gloves, for they were stained with cockatrice blood. When the food was finished, they ate in complete and uncomfortable silence. Afterwards, Seifer went into the basement to take apart the cockatrice they'd killed, and Zell stayed upstairs, watching television. There was another rainstorm coming, harder than the one that had stranded him here. He just hoped the roads were fixed before then.

After a while of watching TV, reading and actually feeling quite comfortable and domestic here, Zell decided to go downstairs to see what Seifer was doing. There was a room beyond the large pantry where all the items were kept, and in the middle was a folding table that had a few stains on it. Though, it smelled like cleaning solutions. Seifer was sitting at a computer, the stereo playing some rock music lowly. There weren't many creature comforts in this room. It was purely for work. Beside the computer were many things lined up, and Seifer was examining them. There were various tools like scrapers and even a magnifying glass there.

"Can you really use any of that stuff?" Zell asked. He knew that Cockatrice Pinions were hot commodities for blacksmiths, but he didn't know if anything else was.

Seifer held up a flask of blood. "Their blood can make softs, and I've started to find that sometimes their bone marrow can make lightning gems. And, I'm trying to figure out if their beaks have any weapons properties right now."

"I guess you use every inch of the monster, huh?" Zell picked up a couple pinions, looking at them.

"I try. It would suck if I wound up throwing away something that could be really valuable."

Zell leaned against the computer desk. "So, with all of this stuff.... finding all these crazy items, you must be... rich."

Seifer raised his eyebrows, giving Zell an amused look. "Would that matter to you?"

"No," Zell answered.

"Well, why would it?" Seifer shrugged. "You're rich, anyway."

The tattooed blonde frowned. He didn't like when people brought up his family's wealth. After all, it was his mother that had the money, not him. Though, now that he was an Instructor and top-ranked SeeD, Zell was definitely what someone would call wealthy.

"No," Seifer answered. "I'm not rich. I make enough to be comfortable, but not rich. After all, I have to pay the rent and bills for the store, and the bills for this place. At least I don't have a mortgage. And, most of my spending money goes towards travelling to get items, and...." He trailed off, and Zell got the distinct feeling he was going to say something that was unpleasant to him, but the other man remained silent. "Well, it's better than poverty."

"I can't imagine being homeless..."

"Yeah, it's not fun." Seifer put the cockatrice pinions in a sack, along with the flask of blood.

"What are you doing with those?" Zell asked as they started to go back upstairs.

"I'm going to take them to the store. I don't need to deal much with them here. I know about cockatrice pinions, especially because they're so common around here."

"So, tell me something," Zell mused, flopping down on the couch. "Did you really kill the Ruby Dragons that gave the skin for my gloves all by yourself?"

Seifer sat on the other end of the couch, flipping through the TV channels. "Yeah. Well, it was only one."

"One is enough," Zell muttered. "It's been 10 years since I've seen one, though."

"They're a lot worse now."

"What if you.... died out there? I mean, you don't have anyone to back you up."

Seifer's face clouded. "I've thought about that. If it happens, it happens."

Zell frowned. He wondered if Seifer took such risks because there was part of him that was trying to get himself killed. After all, he'd changed his name and basically gone into hiding. Perhaps those things affected him more than Seifer cared to admit. But, he didn't breach the subject, since it seemed too delicate. So, instead they just started talking about current events in Timber as the news came on. Zell learned a lot about the mayoral race, as well as new anti-smoking laws in Timber, the weather, ratification bills about pollution from the industrial areas. Zell also talked about his mother, what she was doing, things like that. He'd started to talk about Squall and Rinoa's wedding when the subject of cake came up for some reason, but he stopped before that conversation even began, for Seifer's face had clouded at the mention of Squall, and not for jealousy that Rinoa hadn't married him instead.

"You know...." Zell trailed off after hours of talking and drinking a few beers. "I kind of find it funny that Rinoa even thought there was a relationship between you two. You're not exactly bashful about your sexuality."

"I was back then," Seifer admitted. "Hell, I didn't even like people knowing I wore _glasses_, let alone that I like giving rim jobs."

Zell flushed a little, thinking about what it would feel like for Seifer to do just that right here on his living room carpet.

"But, Rinoa was only 16.... she was still a naive little girl. She would have said she wasn't, but she was born into a rich household where her parents gave her everything."

"She wouldn't agree with that."

Seifer shrugged. "Rinoa put a lot of blame on General Caraway about her mother's death, even though he lost Julia just like she did. But, it was easier to blame her dad then to just accept that Julia's death had only been an accident."

"Yeah, but how could she not have seen that you weren't a couple."

"I don't think she thought we were a _couple_. I mean.... we never kissed, and I never gave her the impression that I was going to kiss her, but you know what it's like when you're a teenager. Your mind gives way to fantasy. And, I think because I paid attention to her. I found her conversations about Timber and the resistance factions interesting."

"Well, if she liked you because you paid attention to her, I wonder what drew her to Squall, since he barely looked her way."

Seifer thought for a moment. "She saw someone she could change. But, she also saw her father. You know that old saying.... girls marry their fathers."

"So, you think she liked Squall because he's like Caraway?"

"Well, it sure as hell wasn't for his conversation skills."

Zell laughed. "Yeah, that's true enough."

"So...." Seifer murmured after a while. "Is Squall... still the same?"

"Pretty much." Zell became serious. "You're the more changed of the two of you."

Seifer didn't say anything for a while, and he yawned. He'd been yawning on and off for the past half hour.

"You look tired," Zell mused, feeling sleepy himself.

"Yeah." Seifer stood up. "I'm going to bed." He started to go up the stairs. "Are you coming or not?" He called impatiently.

"Uh.....w-wh-what?" Zell became very flustered.

"I'm not sleeping on that fucking couch again," Seifer called from upstairs. "You can sleep down there if you want, but I don't recommend it."

Zell slowly climbed the stairs, shivering a little because he was so nervous. Were he and Seifer going to have sex....?

Seifer rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Oh, get that look off your face, Chicken-Wuss." He took his shirt off. "We _aren't_ going to have sex."

"But...."

"The bed is big enough for four people, and more than big enough for two." He took off his glasses and put them on the nightstand beside his alarm clock.

"....Oh." Zell sighed a little in relief, but maybe it was also a little in disappointment. But, then he became nervous again. After all, he had never really _slept_ with a man before. Sure, he'd had sex with men, but they'd all been strangers, and he'd more or less just passed out in the bed with the guy, never willing making an effort to _sleep_ next to him, and definitely never sleeping next to him without having sex first. And, when that man was Seifer... well, it just made things all the more complicated.

Seifer lay on one side of the bed, watching Zell with amusement. "Stop acting so retarded, Zell." He rolled on his side, as if it meant nothing to him that there was going to be another man sleeping next to him. But, it did mean something. When Seifer felt Zell move around on the other side of the bed, his heart fluttered. He was so lonely, and to have a man next to him in bed.... And, what made it even more intimate wasn't that he and Zell had fucked or even kissed, but because he and Zell had _talked_. Seifer hadn't talked to a man like this in a long time, not since before Raijin had started taking Blackball, and Raijin had never been a potential.... boyfriend.

Thinking about Raijin made Seifer relive all the painful moments of his last encounters with his former friend. Those thoughts turned into nightmares as he fell asleep. The pain of how Raijin had been wasting away, the pain of watching him become a different person. The pain of trying everything to help him, and the final, worst pain of Fujin and Seifer having to turn their backs on him. It still hurt so much, and it made Seifer feel like a failure. Just like when Ultimecia had so easily been able to control him, the physical and emotional pain her mere presence had caused him. How she'd turned his child-like dream into an awful nightmare, how she'd so thoroughly used him, and destroyed his life forever, even after she herself was just a memory - past or future. Seifer thought of the death threats, of how many times he'd been spit on, how many times he'd been physically assaulted, nearly to the point of death. How Fujin and Raijin had had to nurse him back to health every time, and how he hadn't been able to do the same for Raijin.

Seifer was shivering when he felt Zell's arms wrap around him for behind. He didn't know if he'd been woken up by it, or if he'd already been awake.

"You're having a nightmare," Zell whispered, holding Seifer tightly. He could only imagine what the nightmare was about. Seifer hadn't cried out, but Zell had noticed him visibly shivering, even though the room was rather warm, and he'd also been panting. "It's okay."

Seifer stilled in Zell's arms, which were very strong around him. If anyone had happened to walk in, it would have looked like a very sexual gesture, Zell spooning Seifer, stroking his bare arms and chest and whispering in his ear. But, there was nothing sexual about it at all. It was merely Zell comforting Seifer in his nightmare, and in turn.... Zell getting comfort himself. It soothed something in him to hold another man like this, to be completely free and unashamed about it, especially after spending so long being so secretive. Seifer's fingers subconsciously looped with his own as he also fell asleep, Seifer's shivers vanishing. Zell may have only known Seifer again for a couple of days, but he felt very close to him in these moments. Like that his former bully was now a fast friend.

Selphie stared out the window, her insides gnawed with worry. It was a sunny day in South Timber, and the worry over Zell was killing her. She hadn't seen him for two days, and he couldn't call because they had just gotten their telephone set up this morning. Selphie had already contacted Garden, though Squall hadn't seem that worried. 'Zell can take care of himself', is what he'd said. Rinoa hadn't had any luck so far on finding references to those strange languages that she'd heard. When she heard a door open and close though the door that connected Selphie's apartment to Zell's, her heart leapt in her throat. She ran into his apartment, and when she saw him, Selphie flung herself into Zell's arms.

"Whoa....!" He exclaimed as she hugged him tightly. A little too tightly, for she was sucking all the air out of him.

"Hyne, I was so worried!" Selphie exclaimed.

"You...you're choking... me!" Zell gasped.

"Oh!" She stood back. "Sorry!" She then looked at Zell. He looked like he'd just had a shower, and didn't look like he'd had to sleep outside or anything. She decked him in the shoulder, glaring at him. "Where the fuck were you? I was so worried!"

"I'm sorry," Zell apologized sincerely. "I would have called, but we didn't have a phone."

She sighed heavily. "I'm just glad you're okay. I even called Garden because I was so worried."

"I'm okay," Zell assured, taking off his shirt. It was actually one of Seifer's. "Really."

"That's good." Selphie crossed her arms. "So, um... where were you?"

"I got stranded because the rain washed out one of the highways."

"Which one?"

"Um, the 118," Zell muttered, starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Selphie was a master at asking a million questions, and while it made her seem just vaguely harmless and definitely annoying, she always seemed to get the answers she wanted.

"Wait.... isn't that like way outside the city? What were you doing there?"

"Just looking up on some stuff. I heard maybe there was a Blackball lab out there," he lied.

"A lab?" She echoed. "So, what....? You know how they make it now?"

"Probably like how they make crystal meth."

"Hmmm." She put a hand to her chin. "Well, at least that's something. So, where did you stay that whole time?"

"Someone was nice enough to let me crash with them."

"Someone?" Selphie echoed, knowing that Zell was definitely hiding something. "Who?"

"Just this guy. He runs a weapons store in Alraune."

"Oh? The same store that made your gloves?"

"Yeah," he muttered, putting on a clean, navy blue tennis shirt.

"Who is he?" Selphie asked, very interested. She wouldn't have been so nosy about it if it weren't for the fact that Zell was blushing a little, and he was obviously hiding something.

"His name's Raef. He's lived here for a while, and knows some about alchemy, so I've been asking him if he knows anything about Blackball." Zell hated lying to his friend, but after how he and Seifer had oddly bonded out in Beech River, Zell hated even more the idea of betraying him. Especially how it had felt waking up pressed next to him this morning, their arms wrapped around each other. It had almost been... hard to leave. No, not almost. It_ had _been hard. Zell actually wouldn't have minded if they'd never fixed the road, aside from the fact that he hadn't had any of his own clothes.

"And, does he?" Selphie asked.

Zell shrugged. "A little. But, he doesn't know who's making it."

"Nobody seems to." She sat on the edge of Zell's bed. "So, tell me more about this Raef guy."

"What's to tell?" Zell asked rhetorically. "He's a blacksmith."

"Is he your friend?"

Zell shrugged. "I guess so."

"Boyfriend?" Selphie asked blankly.

"I guess so...." Zell started to change his socks, but stopped when he realized what Selphie had said. "What...?"

"I know that you're gay."

The colour drained from Zell's face, and Selphie wondered if this had been such a good idea. She's always wanted to breach the subject with Zell because they were friends, and she wanted him to know that she not only understood, but she was supportive. She understood why Zell was keeping it secret, but she also wanted him to know that he didn't have to lie to everyone. Friends didn't need to lie to each other.

"What?" He repeated, his voice very clipped.

"I know," she said quietly. "I know, Zell."

"Since when?"

"Just after Time Compression." She watched as Zell abruptly got up and started angrily pacing around. "Zell, it's my job to know what people are thinking, even when they don't want others to know what they're thinking. _Especially_ when they don't want others to know." She reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Zell, please look at me."

He stared down at Selphie, seeing her typical earnestness and friendship. "Selphie..."

"I'm your friend, Zell." She entwined her fingers with his. "You don't have to lie to me."

Zell sighed heavily, slumping on the bed next to her. "I'm so tired."

"I can only imagine." She stroked his back, and it made Zell think of Seifer. "So, is this Raef guy your boyfriend?"

Zell looked at her, half-shrugging. "Nah. We're just friends."

"Can I meet him?" Selphie asked. "Someone who knows Timber, and even alchemy, would be helpful. Makes me wish I'd paid more attention to my own alchemy classes back at Trabia."

"Um, I'm not sure. He's pretty busy. But, I'll ask."

"Okay...." Selphie knew a brush-off when she heard one. "Look, Zell. I didn't mean to just jump on you like that, but I wanted to breach the subject, and I didn't think you would."

Zell smiled, and it was a genuine one. "No, it's okay. I'm actually kind of glad. It will be kind of nice not to have to lie to someone. Just... try to keep it under your hat."

"But, I'm not wearing a hat."

Zell laughed quietly.

"Don't worry. I won't betray you."

Zell pursed his lips, thinking of his promise to Seifer. He kissed the top of Selphie's head. "You're a good friend."

She smiled as he went into the bathroom. But, now she was more intrigued than ever. Zell was sending so many signals, and one of the biggest was that he was hiding something about this Raef fellow. Selphie slapped her knees and got up. She wasn't the kind of woman to be brushed away simply. She would meet Raef, no matter what. She cocked her head when she heard a knocking from somewhere.

"Who's at the door?" Zell asked. He looked a little scared. Selphie wondered if this was because Raef was supposed to show up. Hmmmm, this only made Selphie even more intrigued. The knock was coming from her door, so it made her all the more confused. She opened the door, and screamed right in Irvine's face.

"Ahhh!" He exclaimed, closing one eye as Selphie flung herself in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist. "You're going to make me deaf, woman!"

She planted dozens of butterfly kisses all over his face, his black cowboy hat getting knocked on the floor in the process. Irvine tried to shake her off, but that was impossible. He just wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, hands squeezing her butt.

Zell came out into Selphie's apartment after he'd heard her shriek. He smiled when he saw Irvine and Selphie embracing, half in the apartment, half in the hallway. But, his smile and happiness for his friends wilted around the edges. Their passion in their reunion only hurt him in a way; it slammed home that he had nobody.

__

Why aren't you happy? Seifer's voice asked in Zell's memory. Would Zell ever have someone that he could assault so passionately like Selphie was to Irvine? Selphie may have known that Zell was gay, but he still had to deal with Garden rules, and what his family would say. But, none of that seemed really important when he thought of having someone in his life, and again... it was Seifer's face he pictured, it was Seifer's body that he pictured laying next to. It would have been fine if it were only sexual fantasies that he was having, but they weren't. After the way that he and Seifer had talked to each other, there was no way it could have been purely sexual. They'd made too much of a mental connection. Maybe in the past, the angry passion of their bullying relationship could have made an encounter purely sexual, but too much had changed.

Zell pushed his melancholy thoughts away as Irvine finally disentangled himself and came across the room. The cowboy, his hair now much shorter than it had been even the last time Zell had seen him, slapped Zell on the back, and then brought him in for a hug, _very _different than the way he and Seifer had held each other last night.

"Hey, man!" Irvine exclaimed, dropping a couple bags on the floor, flopping on the couch. "Whew. My train was soooo late!"

Selphie bounced onto the couch, winding up kneeing Irvine in the stomach. He huffed in discomfort, smacking her butt. "I'm just glad you're here."

"I'm just glad I'm here, too. I could sleep for ten years."

"I think I'll leave you two alone for a while," Zell said quietly, starting to leave.

"Hey!" Selphie called, smiling at him. "You should invite Raef over, and we can have a dinner party or something!"

"Uh..... maybe." Zell just turned and left, hearing Irvine ask "who's Raef?"

"A new friend of Zell's...." was Selphie's reply, trailing off as Zell closed the door between their apartments. Zell almost wanted to run straight to Archimedes, but Seifer had said he was going away for a couple days to Dollet to get some more items. It wasn't only that Zell wanted to warn the other man about Selphie's growing interest in meeting him, but he just wanted to see him. He knew that Seifer definitely wouldn't screech and leap into his arms (it would have been pretty funny, though). Zell sighed heavily, deciding to go out for a jog, check out Bridgeport. He was becoming rapidly infatuated with Seifer, but he did have a job to do while he was here. He started to jog, desperately wanting to go to the train station and just go to Dollet so he could find Seifer and talk with him again. It wasn't just his beautiful face and piercing green eyes that Zell was thinking about so intently. It was the conversations they'd shared. They'd talked about everything, and with intelligence. A lot of people forgot that Zell was very smart, and just dismissed him. He knew that Squall and Quistis often talked over his head like he couldn't fathom the subjects they were discussing, even though he would often trump them with his vast well of knowledge. But, surprisingly, Seifer never did that. At least, not _this_ Seifer. Zell didn't even really consider Seifer ten years ago to be the same man as the new Seifer. Just like when Zell thought back on himself a decade ago, he was a vastly different person, too.

Zell stopped as he skirted the border between Bridgeport Square and Westphal. The skies were darkening with ominous looking clouds, and yet they seemed different from usual rain clouds. Zell shielded his eyes, concentrating on the rapidly approaching clouds. He felt a chill go through him, even though it was rather muggy out. It was a chill of magic. These clouds, while they were a weather phenomenon, weren't wholly natural. It disturbed Zell, and his body immediately felt like it was on fire from Ifrit's powers. He had to lean against a building, or else he was going to pass out on the sidewalk. Ifrit didn't speak in his head, but instead just growled angrily in protest. The skies opened, and the rain started, pouring down like a sea was above them, draining down below.

"Shit," Zell cursed under his breath, starting to try and jog back to the apartment, but the absolute agony in his body from Ifrit wasn't helping matters. But, he'd jogged quite a ways, and was far from his apartment. He caught the first trolley that came along, doubled over in agony the entire way home. He could barely get to his apartment, and definitely couldn't get to his bedroom. He wound up on the living room floor, curled up in horrible pain, wishing that he was back at Seifer's house, laying in Seifer's bed, and that he had Seifer to take care of him.

In the next room, Selphie and Irvine were in the middle of foreplay, and Irvine's hands worked their way into Selphie's shirt. She had her head thrown back, panting from the pleasure of Irvine's hands touching her after a while apart. Then, the pleasure of Irvine's hands became a pain in her chest, like she was being stabbed in the heart. She pitched forward, moaning. At first Irvine though that it was from pleasure, but only for an instant. Selphie was definitely in pain. "Sefie, what's wrong?" He stroked her back, looking at her with concern.

"I.... I don't know..." She gasped, clutching at her chest as the stabbing pain continued. _Ek ipo pipappa._ Selphie's head whirled around, and it blinded her with pain. There was that voice again. She collapsed on the bed, sweating from the sheer pain going through her blood. It was so bad that she blacked out, not knowing that Zell next door was also going through the same hell she was.

__

Bahamut opened one midnight eye as Ifrit walked in on all fours, regal and lion-esque. The smell of ash and fire filled Bahamut's throne chamber where he was curled up on the floor, napping. Smoke filtered up to the ceiling, permeating from Ifrit's skin.

"My Lord, I must speak with you."

"About?"

"Diablos, My Lord."

"Hmph. What of him. If this is about him parading as a human in Timber, I'm well aware."

"This is about Alexander, My Lord."

Bahamut opened his other eye. Though he had to be fair with all the Summons of his court, especially those considered among the inner circle of 'Ancient Powers' like himself, Diablos, Ifrit, Shiva, Leviathan, formerly Tiamat and Alexander, the holy Summon wasn't his favourite. Perhaps it was his affection for his Dark Messenger that made this so, or perhaps it was Alexander's musty piety. "What of him?"

"He has been rumbling about Diablos being able to get away with much meddling in the human world."

"When is he not_ complaining?" Bahamut asked with a yawn._

"This is a little different," Ifrit pointed out. "He claims that you are too soft when it comes to Diablos. And, that if you don't police him, Alexander will do it himself."

This caused the dragon to bolt up to a straight sitting position. "Oh, really?"

Ifrit shrunk a little at Bahamut's show of anger. It was normally Diablos who brought ill news to Bahamut, for he had a taste for it, but also because it was well known that Bahamut favoured Diablos above the others. "You know how much they despise each other. It could get ugly, far uglier than Diablos's little game in the forest city."

Bahamut nodded his great dragon head at the fiery lion-like creature before him. When Ifrit breathed out, he breathed out a cloud of smoke. "I am aware that you are being Junctioned by that fighter SeeD in Timber. It puts you at an advantage to keep an eye on things. I'm also keeping an eye on Berith, as he is well aware."

"Cactuar is also in the city with the girl SeeD."

"I know, but Cactuar is...." Bahamut's wings flapped in a dragon's form of a shrug.

"Yes, I know My Lord. It isn't a typical summon. Though, I believe Diablos's presence is causing agitation in my Master's body with my powers."

"That would only become worse if Alexander wants to start a Summon War." Bahamut's eyes narrowed. "Tell Shiva and Leviathan to also watch things."

"My Lord, I know you don't like us asking, but what about Tiamat....?"

The dragon snorted. "If you know I don't like you asking, why do you? Besides, she is weak. Too weak to last against a feud between two Ancient Summons."

"I will do as you command, My Lord." Ifrit nodded his large head and walked away, his feet leaving scorch marks on the elegantly tiled floor.

Bahamut's wings lazily folded around his body, but his mind was far from sleepy. He was alert, and he was very angry. He closed his black eyes and was immediately standing under a large slate blue umbrella on the sidewalk outside Diablos's manor, wearing a white vinyl raincoat. _I call you, Holy Summon Alexander, Lord Of Judgement. I call you in the name of Bahamut, your King._ After sending his message, Bahamut went up the stairs to the front doors, opening them with his mind rather than with any physical force. He was drawn to the power that Diablos was exuding, even in human form, and found him easily in the large manor.

Diablos, in his Daeva form, was sitting in a bar room, sipping some brandy, a vampire bat perched on his finger like a butterfly or song bird would have been. When Diablos saw his Lord and King, the bat flapped its wings and dissolved into Diablos's finger, for it was part of him. "My Lord?!" A slow smile spread across Diablos's face, a slow and sensual upturning of his lips. "To what do I owe this _honour_?"

"We have a situation," Bahamut said icily as he felt another presence come into the manor. Diablos felt it too, for his eyes flashed blood red, and his face paled to parchment white.

"What's _he _doing here?" Diablos hissed, tail swishing out from the small of his back.

"I'm preventing a war."

Diablos furrowed his brow, pretty face drawn in a frown. Alexander came into the room, a tad bewildered to why he was here. He bowed to Bahamut's human form, kissing the back of his hand, but glaring up at Diablos as he did. Alexander, the Holy Summon, was dressed in the frock of a priest, black with a white square at the throat. He also had crosses on his belt and at his elbows, which gently clinked together as he walked. His hair was gleaming ash blonde, brushed to a sheen, curling around his shoulders. His eyes were a golden brown that seemed to glimmer like gold, and he had a square jaw and masculine face.

"Aren't you going to greet me?" Diablos hissed. "After all, this is my home."

"You make your home in the suffering of others," Alexander shot back, rising to his feet. "You make your home in the destruction of lives."

"Enough," Bahamut commanded. They were all speaking that tongue of Summons. Any eavesdropping servants wouldn't have been able to comprehend a single syllable. "Now, you wish to air grievances with the Lord of Darkness, Lord of Judgement?" Bahamut asked, using their archaic titles to show this was a very serious matter.

"You're not only flaunting your evil ways, Diablos, but you're infecting this city like a disease. You're corrupting all these souls for no reason than your own amusement, and on such a grand scale."

"I've been doing it for years, Alex. Why do you care now?" Diablos examined his fingernails, not giving a rat's ass that Alexander was glaring so hatefully at him that if looks could kill, he'd be dead ten times over.

Alexander shuddered at even the sound of Diablos's voice, how he flaunted this perverse, decadent lifestyle. "I care because you are evil."

"Oh, please!" Diablos exclaimed, wings flapping from out of his back, oily and black. "You don't give a shit about humans. You only care about being a nosy cunt."

"How dare you!" Alexander exclaimed, wings also flapping from his back in anger, feathery and white. "My Lord, you let this impudence slide..."

"Don't even finish that sentence," Bahamut warned, snarling. He bared elongated fangs. "Don't you dare throw piety in my face, Alexander. Not when your hands are bloodstained like all of ours."

Alexander's face went pale. "We all know that he's your whore."

Diablos snorted. "Yeah, especially when he locked me up in a fucking _lamp_ for three millennia." Diablos folded his arms across his chest, glaring at Bahamut. His body was still human, though his arms were starting to grow longer, ropy with muscles, and fingers long and clawed.

"And, that was a tame punishment. I'd hate to have to think of something more devious for the both of you." He winked, but it wasn't a playful gesture.

Both were rendered silent, but kept giving each other the evil eye.

"I am King here, and I am now telling you to both watch your asses."

"But, I have done nothing wrong!" Alexander exclaimed.

"Going behind my back, wanting to start a Summon War with Diablos, counts as _something wrong_," the great dragon hissed.

"I am sorry, My Lord." Alexander fell to his knees and kissed Bahamut's hand again. The dragon, in human form, grabbed a fistful of Alexander's ash blonde hair and yanked him to his feet.

"I am still Lord here," Bahamut insisted darkly. "And, both of you should remember that. So, don't _fuck_ with me." He released Alexander, who fell to the ground with the violence of Bahamut's release.

"Of course not," Alexander said with a bow of his head. "But, My Lord... if I may; Diablos should not be allowed to do whatever he pleases."

"_Diablos should not be allowed to do as he pleases_," the Dark Messenger mimicked cruelly, turning around angrily. The air outside started to darken with the demon's anger. "You hypocrite," he murmured under his breath.

"Enough!" Bahamut roared. "You are trying my patience."

Both became quiet.

"If I may take my leave, My Lord...." Alexander glared hatefully at Diablos.

"Get out of my house, you white magic trash," Diablos shouted.

"You may take your leave," Bahamut stated, as if Diablos hadn't spoken. Alexander disappeared on the spot, leaving white feathers littered on the rug.

"I hate that smug bastard," Diablos hissed, the sky black with clouds, even though it was the middle of the day. "Thinking he's so pure and good. He may be the Lord of Holy, but he's dirtier than a Bridgeport whore's vagina." His voice was now coming out a hiss because his teeth had grown into long, brutal fangs.

"And, of course, you're not blameless..." Bahamut trailed off sarcastically. "You never are, right?"

"What I'm doing has _nothing_ to do with him," the demon sneered.

"Everything is connected, and your actions have repercussions on more things than just this human city."

Diablos made a rude face, turning his back to his King. "Yes, you would defend your precious humans. You've always had a soft spot for weak filth. Look at Tiamat...." Diablos's words were cut off as Bahamut's human hand came down and slapped Diablos's equally human face in a very degrading manner, backhanding him. Diablos fell backwards, landing on the rugs. Bahamut kicked him once in the gut for good measure.

"You dare speak her name to me?!" Bahamut roared with enough force that it shook paintings on the walls, though his lips didn't move. He was screaming with his mind, with his power. "I intervene where Alexander is concerned on your behalf, and this is how you repay me Berith?!"

Diablos just stared up at Bahamut, defiance in his eyes, which had gone from black and icy blue to glowing red. "I never asked for you to intervene. You think I can't take care of myself?" Diablos asked haughtily. "That I don't know what I'm doing?"

"I know you know what you're doing," Bahamut hissed. "That doesn't necessarily mean it's smart."

"Don't lecture me..."

"And, don't speak back to me!" The King yelled, furious. "Do you want my benevolence to turn to anger?!"

Diablos's defiance shrunk a little under Bahamut's anger. His shadow was large and dragon-shaped against the wall, though he was still in human form. "My Lord....."

Bahamut flung his hands out, to wash himself of Diablos's words. Power moved through the room, and his black eyes flashed green. They always flashed green when the dragon was powering up his Mega Flare attack. Diablos shrunk back again, falling to his knees, knowing he had erred. "Etanin, I'm...."

He just turned on his heel and stormed out of Diablos's Timber manor, dissipating into nothing, returning to the realm that his power inhabited, not wanting to hear his human name drop from Diablos's venomous mouth.

Diablos was still kneeling on the rug, hands still black and red scaled claws. His fists balled against the carpet, and he looked down at the pattern, anger stinging him. But, also fear. He knew that he could push Bahamut more than any other in the Summon Court, but there was only so far that even Diablos could push before the King became angry, and his anger was a frightening thing when truly provoked. He didn't want to be on the outs with his beloved King. The thunder rolled outside with the demon's anger and tumultuous feelings.

"No, no...." He whispered to himself, rising to his feet, wings hanging low off his back. "This will not do." He went to the window and stared up into the blackened sky. Big fat rain droplets had started to fall, and when Daeva's body totally vanished, leaving only the Dark Messenger, the heavy drops turned into a downpour. The clouds were blackest in the skies above Bridgeport Square. "You will not frighten me into submission," he hissed. "You forget who you're dealing with, my beloved. You and Alexander both." The large scaled, demonic body exploded into bats, which even further blackened Timber's unstable skies.

Selphie walked down the streets of Alraune, a little slower than she normally would have walked. For the past few days, her and Zell had both been bed-ridden with strange attacks that were based from their GF's power. Even after unjunctioning them, the pains of connection remained. Something strange was going on. This sickness in them meant that research on Blackball had stalled. Zell seemed a lot more affected than Selphie, and he still mostly kept to bed, though now he was up and around watching movies with Irvine, who was stuck doing all the SeeD work. He grumbled a little, but he still doted on Selphie wearing a smile, and little else. Today, Selphie felt like getting some fresh air, but she was also on a mission. A top secret mission.

While they'd been confined to their respective apartments, Selphie had started to ask Zell more questions about his new friend, Raef. Like, what did he look like, was he gay too (she never asked that question in front of Irvine), if he even had a last name. But, Zell would always clam up and change the subject without giving a reason why he was so closed-lipped. Selphie knew from her Intelligence skills, and the signs that Zell was dropping _everywhere_, Selphie got the feeling there was more than friendship going on there, and she normally wouldn't have been so pushy about such a sensitive subject to Zell, but she didn't like how secretive he was being. And, it wasn't the same sort of secrecy that Zell had carried his homosexuality with. This was something that made Selphie itch. And, she was genuinely curious. She wanted Zell to be comfortable with introducing a potential lover to her.

So, she'd done a little researching. Raef who was a blacksmith. All she'd had to do was look in the phone book for all the weapons dealers in the city, and then start to work through the list. Raef Emaissyl was the name that had come up. Owner and blacksmith of Archimedes. So, here she was, ready to meet this mysterious man. She went into the store, looking around. Inside was a very pleasant atmosphere, homey and far different than the impersonal shops of Vidilic Arms. A man with glasses was at the counter, and he smiled at Selphie when she came in.

".... uh, hi..." Gietzen greeted, staring into the brunette woman's bright jade eyes. She was quite pretty, and made him dumbstruck.

"Hello!" She greeted, smiling broadly. "Ummm, I'm hoping you can help me...." She cocked her head, putting her hands in her pockets, suddenly a little nervous. After all, this wasn't a SeeD target. This was Zell, her dear friend. Was she stepping over the line in meddling like this?

"Sure..." Gietzen panted out, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks.

"I'm looking for a... Mr. Raef Emaissyl?"

"Oh..." Gietzen said, trailing off. No wonder Raef would have such a pretty girl calling after him. Just Gietzen's luck that she wouldn't be shopping. "He's not here right now. He went on a business trip."

"Oh, that's too bad...." Selphie looked around the store, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Do you know when he'll be getting back?"

"I'm not sure. Why, is something wrong?" Gietzen asked, leaning slightly over the counter. This woman smelled very nice.

"No, no." Selphie waved her hands, giving her big, bright smile again. "I just want to talk to him. I'm a friend of Zell Dincht's...."

Gietzen thought for a moment. "Oh, the SeeD." He frowned. "Are you.....?" He blushed again. "SeeD, too?"

She winked. "That's a top secret matter." She then laughed, and Gietzen gulped, sure his face was bright red by now. "So, you don't know when he'll be back?"

"Mr. Emaissyl usually comes in at night, after hours. He should be back tonight."

"Okay, great! Can you leave a message to tell him that Selphie Tilmitt will come by tonight to see him?"

Gietzen wrote her name down, though he didn't need to. It was engrained in his memory. "Sure...."

She smiled again. "Thanks a million. See ya." She picked up a business card on her way out, stepping onto the sidewalk. Though it was the middle of the day, it was dark. Selphie popped open her umbrella and started slowly walking to the trolley stop, flipping the business card between two fingers. The trolley pulled up, thunder rolling in the skies, though it didn't start raining. Selphie closed her umbrella again, and took a seat. She looked at the card, wondering how she was going to introduce herself to Zell's friend. She looked at the name on the card, and something curled in her.

Selphie started to pay particular attention to each letter on the card, running her fingers over the raised black type. She looked up as a passenger rang the bell. Selphie had missed her stop, so she got off and started backtracking on foot. She wasn't too far away, though. But, she kept her attention on the card she'd taken from Archimedes. The letters ran through her mind, Selphie's Intelligence training working overtime. R A E F E M A I S S Y L. She went up the elevator, hearing Irvine and Zell laughing in the other room at a film. She sat on her own couch, not announcing herself, continuing to stare at the card, and at the name Raef Emaissyl. She shook her head. No, that couldn't be possible.... Selphie found a pen on the coffee table, and started to write under Raef's name, scratching out each letter as she went.

S E I F E R A L M A S Y.

Selphie looked to the connecting door between her apartment and Zell's, her lips parted in shock. Is this the secret that Zell had been keeping? Was his new friend Raef really the former Sorceress's Knight, Squall's former rival? Was Seifer Almasy of all people Zell's potential new boyfriend? But, why? Selphie thought that Zell _hated _Seifer. And, she knew for a fact that Zell didn't hate Raef. Maybe it was just a coincidence... It had to be. It had to. Well, whatever the case, Selphie vowed that tonight, there was no other place in the world she would rather be than Archimedes Weaponry and Smithy.

Seifer drove into the city, the asphalt roads feeling much safer under his tires than the roads out in the country. He'd just gotten back from Dollet the night before from his item hunting trip, which had been a little successful. He'd found a few new mysterious crystals which he was looking forward to studying. But, work called, after all. During his entire trip to the northern Galbadian continent, Seifer had thought more about Zell than he'd thought of anything else. It wasn't only the thoughts of Zell sexually that had been going through Seifer's mind. It was the conversation they'd shared, the way Seifer had bonded emotionally with Zell in such a short time, simply through _talking_. Seifer hadn't talked to anyone like that in a long time, not even Fujin. After what happened with Raijin.... they felt pained in each other's company sometimes. They still saw each other often, and talked regularly, but they were drifting apart, and it tore Seifer in two. Fujin was all he had. The store kept him busy, but it didn't fill any human needs that he required.

When Seifer stared driving through downtown Timber, he felt a pain stab at his temple, and a chill go through his blood, like he'd just stepped onto the snowfields of Trabia. He actually had to pull off the side of the road when a pain grew steadily in his gut. He felt like he was going to be sick. Seifer rested his forehead against the steering wheel of his truck, breathing deeply to calm his stomach. The skies were still dark, and the threat of even more rain was upon the city. Seifer hoped it wouldn't start, because he'd been lucky to get home in the first place, and one more storm could separate Beech River from Timber for another week. When the pain within him passed, he made his way to work once more.

He parked along the sidewalk of the store, stopping the truck. He pulled out his case of items as he went to the door, fumbling in one of his pockets for his keys. He suddenly felt like he was being watched. Perhaps there were Blackballers in the shadows, waiting to attempt to rob him. Alraune hadn't been hit as hard as other sections of the city, but Blackball's popularity seemed to be growing. Seifer sighed heavily and angrily, thinking of Raijin. He still felt like he was being watched, so he moved his free hand to in his coat pocket, where a switchblade was hidden. Seifer never carried Hyperion in the city. It would give him away for who he really was. He unlocked the doors of the shop and went inside. No sooner had he closed the door that there was a gentle knock on it. Seifer put down his items case, his mind immediately wondering if it was Zell at the door. And, Seifer also couldn't help the smile that passed over his mouth at this thought.

He turned and opened the door, but that fragile smile on his lips froze into a stiff parody of itself.

"Mr. Raef Emaissyl, I presume?" Selphie had her hands in her pockets, looking up at Seifer. She'd been watching the store for the last couple of hours, and when she'd seen this tall man with brown hair and eyeglasses get out of the truck, she'd thought she'd been wrong about it really being Seifer Almasy. But then, she'd seen his face.....

Seifer stared at Selphie, dumbfounded and shell-shocked. No words came out of his mouth, and his mind couldn't even form any. Had Zell told her where he was....? Even after promising not to?

"Can I please come in?" She asked stiffly, a million thoughts racing through her head. Thoughts of bewilderment that Seifer was even still alive, and that Zell of all people had befriended him. "It might start raining any second."

Seifer slowly opened the door fully, his hands shaking noticeably. "So.... I guess Zell told you who I really was...."

"No," she answered stiffly.

Seifer frowned in confusion.

"I'm head of SeeD Intelligence," she pointed out, noticing that Seifer no longer had the scar between his eyes to match Squall's. "It's my job to know what people are thinking before they know it themselves."

Seifer started to regain his composure. "And, what made you so interested, anyway? Aren't you two supposed to be _working_ here, instead of bugging me?"

Selphie put her hands on her hips. "I don't think that Zell has been bugging you at all....." She shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to meet Zell's new boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Seifer asked with raised eyebrows, the room starting to feel a little warm. "What makes you think we're boyfriends?" He laughed, though it was a little nervously.

"Because I know that Zell is gay, and I know that you're blushing right now." Selphie frowned. "But, now that I know it's you...."

Seifer got angry then. "Oh, what? You think you're so fucking smart, don't you? Do you honestly think that you know _anything_ about me?" He laughed harshly. "Your opinion of me is based on something from ten years ago, and from the opinions of golden boy Squall and his perfect Princess."

"I know what I saw back then," Selphie pointed out, also getting angry. "I know what I saw when you made Galbadia Garden attack us. I know what I saw when you gave Rinoa over to Adel."

"You don't know anything," Seifer hissed under his breath, turning away from her.

"I know what I saw in Raijin!" She exclaimed heatedly. "I know that you're knowledgeable in items..." She waved her hands around, pointing out all the shelved items to prove her point.

Seifer whirled around to face Selphie once more, his face having gone pale with anger. "You think I would honestly do that to my best friend? You think I would willingly watch one of the only people in my life ruin himself like that?! You think I wouldn't just willingly watch, but _create_ his downfall?!" The anger in his voice turned to bitter sadness. But, when he spoke, it was with a dead voice. "If you're supposed to know what people are thinking before they think it themselves, you've failed."

"I don't know if I can believe you."

"Can you believe Zell?" Seifer asked. "Or, do you not trust his opinion?"

"Of course I trust him, but...."

"But, what?" Seifer interrupted. "You think I fucking brainwashed him or something?" Seifer laughed, but it was not happily. "I am _not _the same person I was back then. And, I don't _need _to brainwash him."

"What did you make him do in exchange for those gloves?" Selphie asked.

Seifer snorted. "You bitch."

"Zell is my friend!" Selphie yelled. "I don't want to see you destroy him like you destroyed Raijin!"

Seifer balled his hands into fists, really wanting to hit her. "You wanna know what Zell gave me in return?!" He shouted, getting into her personal space. She stood her ground, though she was over a foot shorter than he was. "He fucking promised not to tell anyone I was here, especially not Squall."

Selphie was taken aback, Seifer's emotions coming off as very genuine. "Why did you make him promise that?"

"You think I want Squall to be knocking on my door?" Seifer asked bitterly, walking across the store, leaning wearily on the counter. "Do you think that your image of Seifer Almasy would change his hair, change his name, and hide away here in Timber, too ashamed of what he did under... _her_ control to face his past?"

Selphie opened her mouth to reply, but she really had no answers. She was a very good judge of character, and her accusations earlier now seemed very cruel and malicious. "Was Zell with you for those days he was missing?"

"The rain washed out the highway, so he stayed with me." He rubbed his forehead, glaring at her. "And, no... we didn't have sex, if that's what you're thinking." Seifer wondered if Selphie could see it in his eyes that he'd wanted to go to bed with Zell, so he made his expression very blank.

But, he hadn't been successful enough. Selphie found his face impossible to read, but that only made Selphie cement her suspicions that there was more to Zell's relationship to Raef/Seifer.

"Now...." Seifer pushed himself away from the counter. "If you'll excuse me, I have work to do." He started to walk, but that pain passed through him again, a gnawing in his stomach and coldness in his blood. He also had fire in his chest, like an agonizing case of heartburn. It caused him to stumble, hand pressed to the center of his chest.

"Addicted to Blackball?" Selphie asked meanly, wanting to see Seifer's reaction to those words.

His upper lip curled into a sneer, his whole body shaking. "You saw Raijin... what Blackball did to him. Do I really look like an addict to you?" He leaned against the wall. "For SeeD Intelligence, you aren't very smart."

She angrily crossed her arms, head snapping back when there was a knock on the door. It pushed open, and Zell came in, a weary smile on his face. His skin was very pale from what Ifrit had been putting him through. Zell had known that Seifer was coming back today, and he wanted to see him so badly. He wanted to know if Seifer was having problems with his GF, and he just wanted to _talk _to him. Zell's smile vanished when he saw Seifer's face clouded with pain, his hand clutching his chest. And, the worried expression in his eyes turned to shock when he saw Selphie in the store too.

"What are you doing here?" Zell asked her when he'd found his voice.

"I knew you were hiding something," Selphie answered sadly. That look of concern on Zell's face for Seifer, and the ease of the air between him made her feel so foolish, and a little cruel. She watched as Zell went over to Seifer and quietly asked him if everything was okay. "I was asking him about Blackball."

"Accusing me is more like it..." Seifer trailed off with a hiss of discomfort. "You look like shit," he said to Zell.

"Thanks," Zell said with a roll of his eyes. He then went over to Selphie. "What, are you spying on me?" He asked with a little anger in his voice.

"I knew you were hiding something about Raef Emaissyl," she said again. "And, I knew it was something serious. And, I was right."

"Seifer is not addicted to Blackball," Zell insisted angrily. "What, don't you trust me?"

"I do...." Selphie trailed off. "But...."

"But, what?" Zell asked.

She sighed. "It's Seifer...."

"You think I don't know that? But, I also think that I know what I'm doing. I'm a SeeD just like you are, just like Squall is."

"I know that." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "But, are you sure you can trust him? I mean, after what we saw with Raijin...."

"You wanna know what happened with Raijin?" Seifer asked harshly. He was now leaning against the counter, the pain in his chest dulling, but still there. "He worked at a factory in Bridgeport Square, and someone from work must have given it to him. One day he came home, and he was glowing, like... afterglow." Seifer put one hand on his hip, frowning in pain. "Every day, he started coming back later. Fujin would ask him about it, but he would just get upset and leave. There were nights were he didn't come back at all, and when we did see him again, he looked like shit. Like he hadn't slept in weeks. Then, money started to go missing." Seifer stared straight ahead, the pain in his chest growing, and it wasn't from whatever was bugging him before. "He kept stealing from Fujin's wallet. He couldn't steal any money from me because I didn't have any at the time."

Zell cocked his head, feeling pain for Seifer. It was obviously hard for him to tell this story, especially when Selphie had basically forced his hand on the issue. He would have rather told this painful tale than have her run straight to Squall. "For a year, this went on. He started yelling at us, but we forgave him. He stole from us, but we forgave him. He pawned my watch, but I forgave him. After I opened the shop, I used all the profits to pay for a rehab center in Deling City." Seifer laughed sadly. "He only stayed three days. But, we let him come back. He brought weird people to their apartment, but we overlooked it. I'd saved up a lot of money for a new house, and I used it to put him through rehab again. It only lasted one day, and he left the center to rob a liquor store.... He... he kept trying to get us to take it. When Fujin begged him to stop and he beat her up for it, we couldn't forgive him anymore." Seifer looked up at them with blank, dead eyes. "I had to turn my back on him, even though he was all I had..." Seifer's voice shook a little, and he angrily pushed himself away from the counter. "I haven't seen him since. That was thee years ago."

Selphie breathed out. There was no way that Seifer was lying. No fucking way. Zell went over to stand beside the other man, and she heard him whisper "I'm sorry."

"I don't need your pity!" Seifer exclaimed angrily. "I never got pity, and I don't want it now."

Zell put his hand on Seifer's shoulder, squeezing it. Seifer slumped, Zell's hand so heavy on him. Selphie watched the silent interaction, the friendship there. She'd thought that maybe Raef Emaissyl had been Zell's boyfriend, but there seemed so much more to it than that. There was real friendship there, and a common thread. They had bonded over something personal to both of them. When Seifer had been talking, Selphie had heard the solitary note in Seifer's voice. The common bond between them had been loneliness, and all the years of ancient history they'd shared as children.

"Seifer...." Selphie trailed off. "I apologize."

"I said I don't want your goddamn pity."

"It's not pity! It's a genuine apology," she said stiffly. "I was wrong to accuse you."

Seifer made an amused noise, a smirk pulling at his lips. "You know, that's the first time someone's ever said that to me."

Selphie was silent, watching as Zell asked again if Seifer was okay.

"I said I was fine," he murmured. "What happened to you?" Seifer asked, seeing the paleness of Zell's complexion. Now that he was looking into Zell's eyes, the fact that Selphie was still standing there was inconsequential.

"I got sick because of Ifrit."

"Ifrit?" Seifer echoed, putting a hand to Zell's forehead. "You still feel hot. Are you sure you should be out of bed?"

"I'm fine."

"Ifrit..." Seifer trailed off, touching his chest. "I wonder if it's Tiamat that's making me feel like this. I didn't unjunction her."

"Tiamat?" Selphie asked cautiously. "You have a Guardian Force?"

"Yeah." Seifer looked at her with a bit of hostility. "I guess that's something else that you can report to Garden."

Zell looked over at Selphie, stricken. "Selphie... please don't tell Garden that Seifer is here."

Selphie was about to say that Squall wouldn't care, but she knew that was a lie. "Fine," she assured after a pause. It was the look in Zell's eyes that made her agree. "But, I'll tell him if I have to."

Seifer shrugged, but she could see the relief briefly on his face.

"Well, if Seifer's GF is acting up..... Irvine said he felt a little under the weather too because of Quetzacoatl. Why would they all be acting weird?" Zell wondered, leaning against the counter beside Seifer, who had been struck into silence.

"It's something to look into," Selphie pointed out, hesitant to talk about their mission in front of Seifer, even if he was a former Garden student. "Matron said there was magic here, after all."

Seifer frowned deeply at the mention of their former Matron. "Look, this little SeeD party is all fine and good, but I kind of want to be alone right now."

"Are you sure?" Zell asked, a little disappointed. Selphie noticed.

"Yeah," Seifer answered quietly, patting Zell on the back. "I need to get work done, anyway."

"We should talk more about this GF problem," Selphie said.

"Not right now," Seifer replied forcefully.

"Okay....." Zell said, trailing off. Selphie took her cue from Zell and moved her way to the door, her mind working through all that had happened in just a short time. Zell was oblivious to Selphie at that moment, as he looked into Seifer's eyes. He wanted to stay, and to say so many things, but he didn't. "See you later, okay?" Then, Zell did something he wanted to so badly, but wondered if it was wrong to do so. He kissed Seifer on the cheek. It wasn't just a quick peck in passing. Zell's lips hovered against Seifer's skin, their cheeks brushing against each other. Seifer didn't react at all, and when Zell pulled away, Seifer was just staring at him, not saying anything, his face totally blank. "Uh, see ya..." Zell trailed off, embarrassed. He shuffled out of the store, Selphie waiting for him on the sidewalk, watching him. She'd seen the kiss, and she saw that Zell's cheeks were pink from flush, and she was sure it wasn't all fever.

"Zell?" She asked as he started to usher her up the sidewalk. "I really think we should question him about his GF."

"Not right now," Zell insisted. "He already told us enough tonight." They stopped at the trolley stop. "You aren't going to tell Squall, are you?" He silently pleaded with Selphie.

"No," she said. "I won't." She stood very close to Zell, opening her umbrella as it started to rain. She put it over both their heads, looking at her friend's profile, the blush in his cheeks.... the flush of infatuation. She started thinking about Seifer's story. How would Selphie feel in his shoes? How would she feel if she had no other choice but to turn her back on her best friend? She couldn't imagine anything more heartbreaking, and it immediately made her think differently of Seifer Almasy than she had before. And, she knew that Zell was also thinking of Seifer as he never had before, just as Seifer was thinking of Zell in new ways, too.


	4. Chapter 4

****

Four

Over the past week or so, Edea had become very restless with worry. Timber was now a powder keg of magical power, just needing a single spark to explode. And yet, she still couldn't figure out who was causing it. This was power beyond her. Edea was truly powerful, but there were a lot of things in the world she didn't understand, and this was one. This power exuding across oceans was ancient. Very ancient. Also, Odine was having little luck deciphering it.

While Edea wasn't trying to concentrate her powers, she was thinking of Seifer and Cid, and trying to avoid Laguna. She always thought of Seifer, but she was finding it hard to make up excuses to keep avoiding being alone with Laguna. And, she felt so guilty for it. After all, Laguna was one of her dearest friends, and he was helping her so selflessly. She worried about Seifer, having the feeling that he was in Timber. Something about Timber always made her think of her lost child. Maybe it was the resonance of Ultimecia that was speaking to her. Edea knew that when she was around Rinoa, it flared something of her power, because Rinoa had also been touched by the Time Sorceress's power.

She was also thinking of Cid because he was a very busy man, and what had almost happened with Laguna just reminded her that she wasn't with her husband as much as she would have liked. He always had Garden business, something that she completely understood, but it had put some distance between her and her husband. They'd even argued about it the day before, and things were a little strained between them, which only made the whole situation worse.

She was sitting at the window seat, staring over the sea of buildings that made up the grand city Esthar, when she heard the door quietly open. She looked over her shoulder, faltering a little when it was Laguna who knocked softy, and not Cid. "Oh, hello Laguna. I thought you were Cid." She stared back to the city.

She heard Laguna sigh. "C'mon Edea, what's up?" He sat beside her on the cushioned window seat. "You've been avoiding me like the plaque all week."

"You mean the plague?" She asked dully.

"Yeah, whatever." He flipped his salt-and-pepper hair over his shoulder. "You know what I mean, though!"

"Laguna, we almost kissed," Edea pointed out sternly.

"I know," Laguna replied, just as stern as her. "Believe me, you don't have to remind me." He stared at her for a while, at the way the blue night illuminated the indigo highlights of her long black hair. And, how she smelled like orchids now, a dark and mysterious flower. Women who smelled like flowers had been his weakness, but also the dark hair. Julia had dark hair, Raine had dark hair, and Edea had dark hair.... "But, that doesn't mean you have to run away every time you see me."

"I'm not running away," the Sorceress pointed out. "If I were running, that would deem that I was worried it was going to happen again."

Laguna scratched the back of his neck, the air in the room starting to feel uncomfortable, warm. "Well... uh.... ahhh, are you?" He asked. At least he was sitting down. That way, his leg wouldn't cramp up.

Edea looked away, eyes setting on a red blinking light from the Airstation across the city. From the Presidential Palace, you could see everything. "No, I'm not worried. I love my husband."

He patted her shoulder. "Well, good then. So, what's the prob?"

She looked over, giving her friend a smile. "Nothing, I suppose."

Laguna smiled. "That's the spirit, lady." He got up, and started to leave, glad that he and Edea had patched things up, at least a little. Nothing had happened, and yet there was enough guilt that something may as well have. "Oh!" He exclaimed loudly enough that it caused Edea to jump, bolting to a standing position.

"What, are you okay?!" She went over, and Laguna just laughed.

"Nah, I'm okay. Just forgot that I actually came here for a reason..." He trailed off, laughing nervously at the put-out expression on Edea's face.

"It's not nice to scare an old woman like that." She put her hands on her hips.

"You're far from old," he pointed out. "Because, if you're old... that makes _me_ old. Yeah, right. I'm not ready to be old yet. Just... don't pay attention to my grey hair, and those wrinkles are _not_ from old age. It's sun exposure, you know.....?"

She let out her breath. "So, what did you have to tell me?" She asked pleasantly, interrupting Laguna. He was starting to go off on a tangent.

"Oh, right!" He started pacing around, his hands in the pockets of his casually baggy pants. "I just heard from Squall a little while ago."

"How is he?" Edea asked casually.

"Good. The same." Laguna shrugged. "He's Squall."

"What did he tell you?" Edea asked, a little nervous. For, if Squall contacted Laguna, it probably meant something about Timber. Though father and son were breaching their gap, Squall probably would never be to the point where he would casually call his father in the middle of the night.

"He heard from Zell and Selphie in Timber. Irvine also recently arrived. Apparently, their GF are giving them some problems."

"Problems?" Edea echoed. "What sort....?"

"Making them ill. Apparently they were bed-ridden for a couple of days, Zell especially because of his high compatibility with Ifrit."

"Hmmm...." Edea slowly paced around. "That only makes things more complex. You think the magician there knows SeeD has come, and is targeting them?"

"Squall thought that, and so did Selphie and Zell, but they pointed out that they met someone in the city who carries a GF, and that theirs was acting strange, too."

"Really?" Edea asked. "Who?"

"A blacksmith or something...." Laguna put his hands on his hips. "So, it couldn't just be SeeD."

"No, I suppose not." Edea sighed heavily. "And, Odine hasn't come up with anything new? After all, para-magic is his invention."

"Odine's kinda been... backed up with that energy source blow-out to the C-block of the city. But, I'll get his ass in gear, don't you worry about that." Esthar's electricity was based on para-magic and junctioning Lightning magic to the turbines, so the magical scientist's skills were needed to fix the problem.

"I hate the idea of him finding out what the problem is, whereas all my powers can't come up with shit." Edea angrily turned on her heel, glaring out the window, not really staring at anything. She was just so frustrated with herself. This Sorceress in Timber was taunting her, Edea knew this much.

Laguna put his hands on Edea's shoulders from behind, feeling the velvet of her black blouse. "Well, I hate Odine period."

Edea couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, you do."

"Chill out, Edea." He squeezed her shoulders. "This news about the GFs is good news. I mean, it's more than we knew before, right?"

"It is..."

"You'll figure it out." Laguna wrapped his arms around her shoulders, giving her a friendly squeeze. But, it became a lingering embrace, his arms around her shoulders, his head bowing forward and smelling orchids in her hair.

"I fought with Cid," Edea admitted, feeling tearful.

"About?" Laguna whispered into her hair.

"How he's always away. I helped him start Garden, and yet.... it's foolish of me to be resentful. After all, I have my orphanage."

"It's not the same," Laguna said, knowing he should pull away from her, but he couldn't. It seemed like this sexual attraction to her was just coming on so quickly, but that was far from the case. He'd known Edea for a long time, even before he'd known Squall as his son. This was the woman that he'd put Elle and Squall in the care of. This was a woman he trusted implicitly, and a woman that was beautiful, no doubt about it. And, a woman who he shared much with. He knew her fears about her broken relationship with Seifer, because he had that same experience with his own son. He knew Edea's loneliness when Cid was away so much, because he also felt loneliness so acutely. It had been so long since Raine had died.... and Edea's skin was so warm. "And, you know it."

Edea closed her eyes, leaning against Laguna's chest. She was thinking the same things he was then. Thinking about how she'd actually spent more time with Laguna in the past five years than she had with her own husband. Did Cid really understand the alienation she was feeling from their child? After all, Cid had gotten to see Seifer every day when he'd been a student at Garden. Edea had not. But, Laguna knew. He'd been locked away from Squall, separated by Esthar's walls of secrecy, just like Edea was locked away from Seifer by a wall of secrecy, but this one was of her own making. Her hands came up, fingers twining with his. She felt the calluses of a lifetime of using a gun. And, they stayed that way for a while, Edea's face having turned towards his, their cheeks nuzzling together. It was a fragile, sad embrace. One full of longing and so much guilt.

"Laguna...." she whispered. "We really shouldn't be doing this."

"I know."

And yet, as they both protested, their mouths moved closer and closer, until they were touching. Until, despite their mental protests, they were kissing. And, though they both knew this shouldn't be happening, their mouths were eager against each other. Somehow, instead of pulling away, Edea wound up facing Laguna, their kiss full of passion and desperation. No, no.... they couldn't be doing this. Cid could walk in any second! But, neither wanted to break the kiss, not when it felt so good, and so _right._ Laguna's arms were strong around her, and stirred up passion that she hadn't felt in a while, not even with her husband. His hands swept up her back, felt the silkiness of her hair and the warmth of her skin. Her breasts were crushed against his chest, their tongues filling each other's mouths as his hands moved to the front of her body, feeling her womanly curves.

Their kiss was broken by the sound of a telephone ringing. Edea gasped, looking up into Laguna's face with tears in her golden eyes. They stared at each other, shocked about what had just so easily transpired between the two of them. Edea disentangled herself from Laguna's embrace and picked up the phone on the table nearby. "Yes?" She asked, trying to control the shake in her voice. She briefly cast her eyes to Laguna, but had to look away again, the blush of shame rising in her cheeks.

"Edea, it's me." Cid's voice just made Edea feel even lower. "I'm on my way to the Airstation right now," he said in a clipped tone. She supposed he was still angry about their argument earlier.

"Airstation?" She echoed.

"Yes." She could hear traffic noises in the background, that unique noise of teleporters and magically powered cars that could only be heard in Esthar. "I have a Headmasters meeting at Galbadia Garden with Martine and Bellerose." Bellerose was the Headmaster of Trabia Garden. "I'll be gone for a week or so. I also have business with Squall and Quistis."

"....Okay," Edea whispered. "I wish you could stay, though." There was more meaning in those words than Cid could have ever known of.

"Edea, you know I have to go."

"I know." She slumped into one of the plush armchairs, her bones feeling heavy. She put a hand to her forehead, elbow resting on her knee.

Cid sighed in the other end. "We'll talk when I get back, okay dear?" He said, his voice softening. "Besides, you'll have Ellone and Laguna to keep you company."

Edea let out a choked little laugh. "Cid...."

"The ship is taking off. I have to leave. I'll talk to you later, okay?" He hung up, and Edea sighed shakily, looking at the receiver as if she'd never seen one before, as if it was just now that phones started working again, instead of a decade ago after Adel's death. She hung it up, staring at her pale hands, which were balled into tight fists.

Laguna crouched in front of the chair she was sitting in as she spoke. "He's going to Galbadia Garden for a Headmaster's conference. He'll be gone for a week...." Edea sniffled, wiping her cheeks with badly shaking fingers. "Oh, Laguna..." She shook her head, looking at him. "What have we done?"

He pursed his lips, not having an excuse, and yet not really wanting to give a bunch of excuses. Kissing her had hurt Laguna because of the repercussions where Cid was concerned, but yet... how could he deny something that felt so right, despite all the wrongs surrounding it? And, from Edea's expression, he knew it was yet something else that they had similar ground on. Laguna took her hands in his own, squeezing them. He didn't try to kiss her again, but the way he held her hands to comfort her as she silently cried was more than enough. It had the same connotations as a kiss, the same feelings behind it. While the air was thick with guilt, neither moved to break the contact of their hands. It was comforting, which is what they both needed.

Edea sniffed in her breath, regaining composure. But, when she looked into Laguna's eyes, she couldn't muster any more of it, and they fell into another embrace, knowing it was so very wrong, but not being able to help themselves. Her hands ran through his long hair, and his fingers traced the curve of her hip and the swell of her breast. They kissed passionately, the sin of it seeming to make it all the more steamy. Laguna made a tortured noise against her full, delicious mouth, breaking their kiss. He held her tightly against his chest, both of them making noises of frustration and shame into each other's hair. And yet, they didn't let go of each other.

Seifer tapped the bar with his index finger, then pushed his glass towards Fujin. He was sitting at the bar in the Aphorora Pub, knocking a few back to drown his sorrows.

"DRUNK?" Fujin asked, cocking her eyebrow over her black eyepatch.

"No, I'm not drunk," he muttered as she poured him another tequila. "I'm not allowed to have a couple drinks?"

She narrowed her eye, but still gave him the glass. "CHICKEN?"

The brunette made a snorting noise as he took a swig of his drink. "What do you mean? What about him?"

"LONELY."

Seifer frowned at her, glass in his hand. "What are you implying, exactly?" He asked very carefully.

Fujin leaned across the bar. "You're lonely, Raef. And, you like being around him. So, what's up? He hasn't come and bugged me again about Raijin..." She trailed off painfully. "And, you haven't been talking about him."

"When did I talk about him?" Seifer asked defensively as Fujin went over to another customer, pouring him a Screwdriver.

"OFTEN."

"What do you know, anyway?"

"STUPID!" She exclaimed angrily. "I see it in your eyes when you talk about him." Her expression softened. "You like him."

"What?" He asked, frowning. "You're crazy."

"Deny it all you want," she murmured. "But, I think he likes you too. After all, he came back to visit you again, didn't he?"

"He just wanted answers," Seifer pointed out dully.

Fujin just groaned. "Fine. Don't see it then. Be alone forever then." She frowned at him, going across the bar to tend to other customers.

Seifer just made a face, drinking more of his tequila. He looked around the bar, wondering if Fujin was right. Did Zell... _like _him? Seifer hadn't seen the other man since the night where Selphie had come to accuse him. That had been a little over a week ago. Seifer wanted to go talk to him, but kept thinking of excuses not to. He wanted to see Zell's face again, to hear his voice. It made him feel connected with his past in a good way, and yet there were so many things different about Zell. Just like there were so many things different about himself. They were like creatures, and actually always had been. Seifer remembered the last time he and Zell were both in Timber. That day where he'd acted like a total fucking idiot and run to Timber to help the Forest Owls. It was the day that had begun the ruin of his life. The day that Edea had taken him to be her Knight, and destroyed him for years to come. It was also the day that Zell had opened his big stupid mouth and told Deling that they were all from Garden. Those two men seemed like different people, and so like children. Well, they _had _been children. This Seifer had learned to be humble, having to pay so much to glean that lesson. And, this Zell was more quiet and thoughtful. A more serious individual.

Zell and Selphie hadn't bothered him since that day, though he was sure that they wanted to. Was it Zell that was preventing Selphie from knocking at Archimedes's door again? Seifer didn't want to get involved in SeeD business, but he wanted to put a stop to Blackball, he wanted to help save the addicts, like Raijin.... And, information about Tiamat could help that. And, he wanted to help Zell, too. Seifer didn't give a shit about helping SeeD and Squall, but helping Zell... that was different. At least with helping him, Seifer would be seeing him again. And, Fujin _was_ right. Seifer was lonely, and what had happened with him and Zell just made him all the more aware of it.

Seifer looked over his shoulder when he heard someone laugh loudly. Usual drunk laugh. There was a group at the table in the corner, all laughing and being rowdy together. Seifer just turned back to his drink, their laughter still wafting through the bar. Seifer's blood went cold when he heard one of them shout something in a language he'd never heard before. It sounded dark and menacing, and also familiar. He noticed Fujin behind the bar, her face paler than usual. It made Seifer look over his shoulder, and he saw that among the group of rowdy drunks was a dark-skinned man. Raijin. They weren't drunk... they were Blackballers. For a moment, Seifer hadn't recognized his friend. _Former friend._ Raijin looked so different, so skinny and almost ghoulish. Raijin's eyes moved across the Pub, and landed on Seifer and Fujin. Even from across the bar, Seifer could see Raijin's eyes glittering like onyx. Raijin always had dark eyes, but now they looked like Dark Matter.

"Raef!" Raijin exclaimed, actually vaulting over the table and sauntering across the bar. He was followed by the Blackballers with him, and Seifer felt dread go through him. When a group of Blackballers got together, things were always messy. One of Raijin's eyes had the remains of what would have been a rather nasty shiner around it. Zell had mentioned that he'd gotten into a fight with Raijin... "Well, well!" He looked over at Fujin. "If it isn't my dear friends...." He started laughing, and the people with him laughed too. They all had black glittering eyes, and all looked so skinny.....

Seifer swallowed, his heart breaking. How had Raijin turned into _this_?

"LEAVE," Fujin said darkly, her fists balled on the bar top.

"Leave, ya know?" Raijin echoed. "Why? I don't wanna." He laughed again, followed by his little coven of addicts. They all then started talking among each other, but it was complete nonsense. Gibberish. "So, how are ya....?" He sighed dreamily, staring off into space.

"Hey, get out of here!" The owner shouted, coming from the back room. "I don't want scum like you in here."

A few of the women started singing a strange song, and Raijin hummed along, starry eyes turning to Seifer. "Oh, Raef... you don't know what you're missing." Raijin stepped forward and touched his former friend's arms. "This voice..." He trailed off, singing along with the strange song. "It makes everything better."

"Don't touch me," Seifer hissed, pushing Raijin away. No, this wasn't the Raijin he'd known. This was a stranger.

Raijin's blackened eyes grew angry. "Oh, you think you're so pure, _Seifer_?" He hissed. "You're the fucking Sorceress's Knight. A witch's whore, a _murderer_."

Seifer jerked as if he'd been slapped.

"So, don't you act like I'm dirty, _kithu'sxa._"

Seifer frowned at the insult, uttered in a language he'd never heard. "Get away from me."

"You have to try it!" Raijin insisted, grabbing Seifer's coat in tight fists.

"Hey!" The Pub owner shouted again, pushing a few of the women towards the doors. "Stop harassing my clients! Get out of here!"

One of the women punched the owner in the face and dove on him as he fell, hands immediately going into his pockets, searching for his wallet. The bouncers dove into the fray, and it quickly became a brawl. Raijin kept whispering to Seifer, and when the brunette shoved his former friend away, Raijin attacked him. Seifer's gut wrenched when he punched Raijin in the face. It was hard to get a hold on Raijin, since both Blackballers and bar patrons had jumped into the fight. Seifer was knocked to the ground, limbs tangled everywhere, and people shouting in Daphnic, as well as the strange language that the drug addicts were using.

In the fray, Seifer then heard shouts and gunfire. The Timber Police had arrived. Blackballers started to scatter, and Raijin tried to get away, but Seifer was trying to hold him. Seifer was kicked in the side of the face, and lost grip on Raijin's coat. He saw stars, and heard more shouts. He blinked a few times, face to face with the floor, face stinging. The floor was littered with small blood splatters, a few cigarette butts, some coin gil, and a black orb that had rolled under a stool. A Blackball. It must have fallen out of one of their pockets in the fight. Seifer caught it in his palm, and a shudder went through his body. Seifer was very well versed in items, now actually a world-renowned expert in alchemy (Garden had even written him once, asking him to be a consultant for alchemy classes for cadets, but he'd thrown the letter away), and he knew this feeling. Was this the secret behind Blackball?

Seifer rose to his feet, looking around. Fujin had come out from behind the bar, and went over to him. Seifer put the Blackball in his pocket without anyone noticing. "Are you okay...?" Fujin asked. She then said under her breath "he called you Seifer....."

"I know," he muttered. "But, what do I care?" He asked bitterly. "I can't hide forever." The Timber Police started questioning everyone, and then asking them to leave. The bar had gotten messed up in the fight, so they were going to close it, and look at the crime scene. Seifer knew he could be arrested for possession if they decided to search his pockets and found the solitary orb. The police took Seifer's name down, or rather Raef's name, and sent him on his way.

"OKAY?" She asked, touching the side of his face. Seifer winced when she did. "SORRY."

He covered her hand on his cheek. "You know me, babe. I'm always okay." He kissed her forehead and started to quickly leave, knowing just where to go.

"Where are you going?" She called. "To see Zell....?"

He just waved a hand and left, going into the cool night. It felt like another rainstorm was brewing. Fujin sighed as she watched him go, feeling like she was going to cry, but she willed herself not to. She looked around the bar, putting her hands on her hips. One of the bouncers was righting a table, but the place was a total mess. They would probably be there all night cleaning up. "Raijin...." She whispered under her breath as she went to find the mop bucket.

Seifer, on the other hand, caught the first trolley he could find that was heading anywhere near South Timber. He put his hand in his pocket again, fingers brushing over the hard surface of the drug. It again sent a chill down his spine. He also started to feel ill, like something was in his stomach, and was trying to claw his way out. The side of his face was also throbbing, so it made for a sickening combination. He got off the trolley at a stop in Zell's neighbourhood. Seifer knew the address from when Zell had placed his weapons order.

As he climbed up the steps to Zell's floor, Seifer's heart started racing. Perhaps this was a bad idea. He could just go directly to the police. Because, if he got involved in SeeD business.... But, no. After seeing Raijin so alien and emaciated, Seifer knew he couldn't just let his cowardice control things. He wanted to put a stop to Raijin ruining himself, and he also wanted to stop _running_. He was tired. So very tired....

Zell sighed, flopping on the couch. He, Selphie and Irvine had been at the Police Department, but left when half the squad was called away to the Aphorora Pub for some big fistfight. They'd been looking up Talman Sinclaire, the landlord of the building where the Blackball party had been. But, according to the City and Country of Timber, there was no Mr. Sinclaire currently living there.

"Well, what now?" Irvine asked, tipping his hat so it was covering his eyes. He slumped beside Zell as if he were going to have a quick nap.

Selphie was pacing, throwing an orange up in the air and catching it. "I'm not sure. We keep running into brick walls."

"Well, what about archives?" Zell offered, feeling weary. "Sometimes people use the names of dead people to hide themselves."

Irvine made a shooting motion to Zell. "Good plan."

Selphie cocked her head, sitting on Zell's other side, looking at his tattooed profile. "Something wrong.....?" She asked him at the look on Zell's face. He just looked so.... sad.

"I'll call the archives right now." Irvine got up and went across the room. He started talking to someone on the phone, and Selphie patted Zell's knee.

"It's about him, isn't it? Because you haven't seen him in a while..."

Zell shrugged. "It's not like he's my boyfriend or anything...." He said this very quietly so Irvine wouldn't hear, and he felt so sneaky about it. Spending time with Seifer since coming to Timber made Zell want to drop the charade. He was tired of lying.

"I think you want him to be, though."

"This is Seifer we're talking about, Selphie!" He insisted quietly.

"I know," she whispered back. "But, I can't ignore the look on your face when you think about him. You've been miserable this past week. Maybe he has been, too..... Besides, he's not the same person he was then. Neither are you. Neither are any of us. We were just kids then."

"Well, Timber archives will send us some information in the morning," Irvine announced as he hung up the phone. "Oooh, what are you talking about?" He asked, frowning. "You look so serious." He winked at Selphie. "You're not having an affair behind my back with Zell, are you?"

Selphie pursed her lips, and Zell just stared at his friend, and Irvine's frown deepened.

"You aren't.... are you?" He asked, starting to get nervous over Selphie and Zell's seriousness.

"No, no..." Zell insisted quietly. "Irvine, sit down. I have something to tell you."

"Zell...." Selphie said in an uncertain tone. "Are you sure?" She knew that Zell was going to out himself to Irvine, and while she knew that Irvine was a compassionate man behind all his flirty bravado, she didn't know how he would react.

"I'm sick of lying."

"Lying about what?" Irvine asked, sitting in the chair perpendicular to the couch. He was really starting to get nervous. Whatever Zell was going to tell him, it was heavy. "I don't like the sound of this... did someone die?"

"No," Zell said quietly. "I'm just so sick of lying and pretending."

"Pretending?" Irvine asked blankly, looking over to Selphie for answers, but she was keeping her face relatively blank. She knew what Zell was going to say.

"You're my friend man, so I just think I should tell you, especially since I don't want you to find out some other way.... I, um...." Zell looked down at his hands, hands that were gloved in the weapons that Seifer had made for him. It wasn't Seifer alone that was making Zell take this _huge_ step forward. It was just that.... talking to Seifer they way they were made Zell want to be able to date any man he wanted, without having to sneak around. And, he saw how miserable Seifer was, lying about his identity. "I'm gay," he said before he could back out.

Irvine blinked a couple times, looking from Zell to Selphie back to Zell again. "Wha...?"

"I'm queer," Zell said. "I like men, I suck dick."

"Ummmm...." Irvine took his hat off and scratched the top of his head. "Since when?"

"Since always."

"And, you knew?" He asked of Selphie.

She nodded.

"Since when?"

"Always," she echoed. "I am SeeD Intelligence, after all." She tapped her temple, but it was without her usual humour.

"So, ummmm, why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because of Garden's rules on 'promiscuity'," Zell muttered, a little angrily. "Because I was afraid of what people would say..."

"People like me?" Irvine asked. "Like Squall?" He snorted. "Yeah, I guess Seifer would have had a field day with it."

Zell sighed heavily. "He wouldn't have, actually."

Irvine frowned deeply. "Well, um.... You've shocked the hell out of me, Dincht. I'll give you that."

"He's still the same person," Selphie pointed out.

"I know that!" Irvine exclaimed, glaring at her. "What, you think I would just stop being his friend because of it?"

"So, you're not freaked out?" Zell asked, cocking his head.

Irvine shrugged. "Your life, man. But, ummmm.... have you ever... you know...."

"You know?" Zell echoed.

"Uhhh, thought of me like that....?" Irvine looked a little worried.

"No," Zell assured. "Never."

Irvine sighed in relief. "Well, uhh... good, I.... I guess. That could have been a little awkward."

"I think I need a drink," Zell muttered, getting up.

Irvine sat in the chair for a while, running his fingers over the brim of his hat. He quickly got up and went to the kitchen where Zell was mixing himself a vodka and tonic. "So, why not?"

"Huh?" Zell asked, looking up into Irvine's periwinkle eyes.

"Why didn't you ever think about me like that?" Irvine asked, tossing his cowboy hat onto the table.

Zell shrugged.

"No, why? I'm a good-looking guy. I'm tall and got a good body..." He spread his arms out to show himself off.

Zell frowned, laughing a little. "What, are you offended that I never wanted to fuck you?"

"No..... Well, maybe a little."

Zell smiled genuinely. "Well, because you're straight."

"Hey," Irvine pointed out, poking Zell in the chest. "You could do a lot worse than me, bub. I can kiss like nobody's business."

"I'll take your word for it." Zell handed Irvine another beer. "So, we cool?"

Irvine patted the top of Zell's head in a teasing manner. "You know it, Dincht."

Selphie sighed in relief, sprawled ungracefully on the couch. "I'm just glad that you two are still okay."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Irvine asked, sitting beside his girlfriend. "You don't give me enough credit, Sefie. I'm a progressive guy. I mean, if I can accept twin lesbians wanting to have sex publicly, then I can more than accept Zell liking guys."

"Twin lesbians....?" Selphie echoed sourly. "You're not starting up that petition again, are you?"

Irvine slapped Selphie's inner thigh. "You know, if you had a twin sister who was into cunnilingus, I'd find you a lot sexier."

Selphie gasped, taking a pillow and smothering Irvine with it. He gasped, arms flailing out as she pressed it hard into his face, laughing as she did. Zell felt relieved as he watched them. So, everything was back to normal. Zell started thinking about Seifer again, wondering what he was doing right now. He was probably on his way to the shop, or he was off on another item trip. Zell was so envious of his lifestyle, the freedom of it. Irvine wrestled himself away from Selphie's pillow, and got her in a headlock. "Come on, Zell. If you want to sucker-punch Selphie, now's the time."

"Ack!" She screeched. "Ewww, my face is near your armpit, you smelly bastard!"

"Come on, Zell!" Irvine said between laughs. "One punch in the butt! She deserves it."

"A-ha!" Selphie exclaimed, trying to struggle away. "He doesn't like girl butt."

"Ehhh, but you're not a girl. With that skinny little boy body of yours..... ow!" He exclaimed, letting her go. "You bit my armpit."

"And, got a mouthful of body lice." She laughed as Irvine threw his hat at her. She put it on her head, prancing around the apartment.

"I could find a better girl than you," Irvine pointed out, winking at Zell.

"What, twin lesbians?" She asked with a snort, whirling around to face the door when there was a knock on it. "Pow..." she whispered, finger-shooting.

"Nice shot," Zell muttered. "The door didn't know what was coming." He opened the door, and his smile grew wider when he saw Seifer. "S'up!" He greeted casually, though his heart was pounding in his chest. "What are you doing here?" Zell asked, feeling a little light-headed.

"Ahhhhh!" Zell heard Irvine exclaim behind him. Oh, right.... that was another thing he should have told Irvine. "What are _you_ doing here?" Irvine exclaimed, pushing past Zell to stare at Seifer like he was a space alien.

Seifer mockingly bowed. "Raef Emaissyl, at your service."

"Raef.... Emaissyl...." Irvine looked at Zell and Selphie. "Well, you guys are just _full _of secrets tonight, aren't you?"

"What happened to your face?" Zell asked quietly, opening the door wider so Seifer could come in. "Are you okay?" Zell reached out and touched the bruise on the other man's cheek.

Seifer winced and craned away. "Raijin kicked me in the fucking face."

"Raijin?" Selphie exclaimed, standing on her tiptoes to examine Seifer's bruise. She poked it, and he smacked her hand away.

"Him and a bunch of his druggie friends crashed the Aphorora Pub."

"That was them?" Selphie exclaimed, looking at her fellow SeeD. "We left the police station because they all left to go there."

"Yeah, well... they trashed the place." Seifer pulled the orb out of his pocket. "I believe you'll be interested in this."

All three stared at the Blackball in Seifer's palm. "Where did you get that....?" Irvine asked, looking at Seifer with suspicion. But, Zell and Selphie both seemed unafraid, so he took his cues from them.

"One of the Blackballers must have dropped it in the fight." Seifer frowned darkly. "It's an icon item."

"What?" Zell asked. "Here, let me cast cure on you or something... that bruise looks really bad."

Seifer waved his hand, looking into Zell's eyes, struck numb. "I'm fine, Chicken-Wuss."

Zell smacked Seifer in the stomach, which caused him to groan. "Shit," Zell cursed. "I'm sorry..."

Irvine watched the way that Zell and Seifer talked to each other. There was none of their arguing and bickering like there'd been in the past. Was Seifer the reason that Zell had come out to him?

"Okay, okay... what do you mean icon item?"

Seifer cocked his head, still looking at the orb in his palm. "Do you trust my opinion as an alchemist?"

"Yes," Zell answered. Selphie just nodded, and Irvine did nothing, because he didn't know _what_ to do.

"I can tell you with certainty that this is an icon item. That, every time someone takes Blackball, they're junctioning a GF." He groaned under his breath when he felt something curl in him, and he swayed a little.

"Really?!" Selphie exclaimed. "Holy shit.... are you serious?"

Zell put his hand on Seifer's back when he noticed the taller man wobbling. "You're not okay, Seifer. Sit down, okay?"

"I'm fine, okay?" Seifer grumbled, but he still sat down anyway. "I think when I touched the icon item, Tiamat got unruly. I haven't junctioned more than one GF since.... God, since I was still at Garden."

Selphie rubbed her forehead. "Oh, yeah... about Tiamat... we sort of had to tell Squall that we knew someone that had a GF here."

Seifer looked momentarily stricken, but then calmed himself. "Oh? And, what did ole Squall say about it?"

"We didn't tell him it was you," Zell pointed out. "But, fuck that. What are you talking about, icon item....? Do you know what GF it is?"

Seifer rolled his eyes, elbowing Zell. "Come on, you moron... you're smarter than this, so act like it. It's in the form of a Steel Orb, so it's more than likely Diablos."

"But, I don't get it...." Irvine trailed off, staring warily at Seifer. "Why would Diablos want to have a ton of people junctioning him?"

"Power reasons?" Selphie wondered aloud. "So, Seifer... you will definitely vouch for this being an icon item?"

Seifer nodded. "I'd bet my life on it. Though... I can't be sure that it's Diablos, and I have _no_ clue where to begin finding out why he would do this, but I do know items." He suddenly looked at the three SeeD. "I remember back when...." Seifer trailed off, obviously remembering ugly memories. It caused his whole body to shudder. "Back when I was under _her _control, that you guys used Diablos against us once. Do you still have control over him as a Summon?"

Selphie nodded. "Yeah. The icon item is back at Garden. I personally never junctioned Diablos.... Squall always did."

"I did a couple times," Zell pointed out.

"You think you would remember what he feels like?" Seifer asked, holding out the orb between his thumb and fingers.

Zell pursed his lips, looking into Seifer's eyes. He gingerly took the potent drug from the other man, taking off his gloves so he could touch it fully with a bare hand. He felt Ifrit flare in him, and he groaned. But, he rode the fiery discomfort, feeling the drug. "I'm not sure...." He sighed, putting it on the coffee table, not wanting to touch it anymore. "Sorry."

"Well, this is like... awesome!" Selphie exclaimed. "We finally have something to tell Quistis and Squall..." She trailed off, looking at Seifer. "Oh."

The tall man shrugged. "Let me tell Squall myself."

"What....?!" Zell exclaimed. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm very serious," Seifer said with conviction. "After seeing Raijin tonight.... I... I want to stop Blackball any way I can, and if facing Squall is how, then so be it. Besides.... I'm tired."

"Tired?" Irvine echoed, crossing his arms.

"Of hiding," Seifer replied, staring at the cowboy. "Must be odd for you to see me again."

Irvine pursed his lips. "Yeah, it is... But, Selphie and Zell seem to trust you, so that's okay by me. I'm easy."

"You can say that again," Selphie muttered under her breath, sticking her tongue out at her boyfriend. "Look, Seifer... you've really helped us out, so you don't have to do this, you know? We can just tell Squall that Raef Emaissyl helped us."

Seifer frowned. "Yeah, but that would have Garden want to start contacting me again. I'm screwed either way, I think. This is the perfect time to stop being such a coward."

"Well, if you're sure...." Selphie nodded and went over to set up their communication equipment.

"Raijin said something to me in that strange language. At least I guess you know it's Diablos's language," Seifer pointed out. "Each Summon speaks various languages.... They speak the language of their master in order to communicate, they speak the language they spoke before becoming human, and I guess they speak some other Summon language when they talk to each other. I know that Raijin wasn't speaking Summon Tongue, because humans can't."

"How do you know this?" Zell asked, cocking his head.

"It's called research," Seifer muttered sarcastically, but he had a sad yet resolved look on his face.

"You don't have to do this," Zell whispered as Selphie and Irvine tried to disentangle the wires for the hook-up.

"I want to," Seifer said. "I can't.... I can't pretend anymore."

One corner of Zell's mouth turned up sadly. "I know what you mean. I told Irvine I was gay.... just before you got here."

"And?"

"He seemed okay with it."

"Yeah, he didn't flip out at seeing me, either...." Seifer looked across the room at Selphie and Irvine. "I don't think I'll be able to say the same for Squall, though."

Zell ran his hand down Seifer's arm. "You do realize that once Garden knows where you are, they'll tell Matron."

Seifer took his breath in sharply. "I know. I'm.... ready, I guess."

"Seifer, I...." Zell stopped himself.

"You what?"

"I kinda... missed you, eh? I thought of going to the shop so many times...."

"Oh, really?" Seifer cocked an eyebrow over the frames of his glasses.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"What, about Tiamat?" Seifer tasted his heartbeat when Selphie got the communication screen set up.

"No." Zell folded his hands in his lap. He heard a gust of wind roll past the windows of his apartment. "Just to talk."

"I guess I know what you mean," Seifer said quietly. "My house seems kind of empty without you blathering on and on."

Zell popped Seifer in the shoulder, and then they fell into a deep silence. Seifer pursed his lips because Zell's playful punch really hurt, but that was secondary. This was it... he couldn't go hiding into a rabbit hole anymore...... As soon as the Balamb Garden logo came on the screen, Seifer quickly got off the couch, moving away from the screen and out of its sights. He lost his fucking nerve. Zell was looking at him with concern, and a shiver went down Seifer's spine when he heard Quistis's voice from the screen.

"Guys, good to hear from you," Quistis replied smoothly, Seifer closing his eyes across the room. Her voice just brought back so many memories. How would he feel when he had to hear Squall or Rinoa's voices? Or Matron's...?

"Man... we have super-big news!" Selphie exclaimed, throwing her hands out to emphasize her words. "We found out what Blackball really is!"

"You did?" Quistis asked, peering intently at the three of them from her office in Balamb. She noticed that Zell wasn't looking at her, but something out of her line of sight, something off camera. "Well?" She asked, excited.

"It's an icon item." Selphie picked up the orb and showed it to Quistis. "We got a sample of it tonight, and a professional alchemist's opinion!" Selphie's eyes briefly went over to Seifer, urging him to come forward and take credit for his finding. After all, without Seifer, they'd still be sitting on their thumbs, totally at square one.

"Professional opinion?" Quistis echoed. "Whose professional opinion?"

"Raef Emaissyl, the blacksmith. He's really quite good with items...." Again, Quistis noticed Selphie looking off camera, at the same place Zell was staring.

"Yes, I know. Garden has tried to contact him about a teaching position."

Seifer rolled his eyes, leaning against the wall.

"So, if it's an icon item, who is the GF?"

"Diablos," Irvine answered. "Well, we aren't 100% on that, but since it's like a steel orb, that's the educated guess. And, because Squall always junctioned Diablos, we aren't really familiar with how he feels."

"Diablos?" Quistis asked, surprised. After all, what was the point of a GF acting like this? "Hmmm, let me get Squall in on this."

"And, there was another Raijin sighting. Again, he spoke in a weird language. But, if this whole Diablos thing is true, I guess it's Diablos's language," Selphie pointed out.

"Any sign of Seifer....?" Quistis asked, noticing a reaction.

"What about Seifer?" came Squall's voice from the screen. Seifer stiffened up completely, feeling like he was going to hyperventilate.

"They saw Raijin again. But, never mind that." Quistis started to fill Squall in on Zell, Selphie and Irvine's discovery, unaware that Seifer was listening to every word she was saying. Squall was very silent, but when he spoke again, Seifer slammed his eyes shut.

"Strange. I suppose we should thank this Mr. Emaissyl for the help."

"Check the icon item. Maybe we can get Diablos to appear to us, and question him."

"Good luck," Seifer muttered under his breath.

"Is someone there with you guys?" Quistis asked, hearing the sound of a person's voice, but not the words.

"Just the TV...." Selphie lied, her voice trailing off nervously.

Quistis frowned, sensing there was more to it than that. Squall had left the screen to search for the steel orb that was Diablos's icon item. When he brought it back, there was a perturbed expression on his face that Zell knew was confusion.

"This is just an ordinary steel orb." He rolled the thing around in his palms, taking off his gloves so he could touch it again. "I don't understand."

Seifer snorted angrily. "God, SeeD can be so stupid sometimes. I don't know how you became world-renowned mercenaries."

Quistis and Squall both heard Seifer's voice again. "Okay, that is _not _the TV," the blonde woman said angrily. "There's someone there with you. This is a private SeeD meeting, you guys..." She stared at them with warning eyes.

"Yeah, um.... Raef Emaissyl is here," Irvine said. "We figured since it was him that gave us the info, it was only fair."

"But, he isn't SeeD," Squall pointed out, voice bland.

Seifer growled angrily in his throat, storming over to the couch, sitting between Zell and Selphie. "Yeah, well... I may not be SeeD, but I guess you didn't get any smarter after passing that exam, eh?" Seifer asked angrily. Squall's voice had sent fear through him, but also so much bitterness and anger. Hyne, it had been a decade, and yet Squall still riled Seifer up so much. "Hello, Instructor Trepe."

Both Squall and Quistis were staring slack-jawed, neither moving a muscle.

Seifer flourished with his hand. "You wanted to meet Raef Emaissyl? Well, here I am."

Squall's bewildered look turned to one of anger, and Quistis still looked beyond perplexed. "Seifer...." she breathed out. His hair was dark, he was wearing glasses, and he didn't have his scar anymore, but that face would always be the same. She then rolled the name Raef Emaissyl around in her head, and realized that it was simply an anagram. Seifer's name had been under her nose so many times when they'd been looking for consultants to teach cadets alchemy.

"What is he doing there?" Squall asked stiffly, looking to Irvine, Selphie and Zell. Why wasn't Zell flipping out over Seifer sitting right beside him?

"I have a name," Seifer spat out. "And, I am an expert on items, after all." He frowned deeply at them. "Well, I guess ten years hasn't changed anything there."

"Seifer..." Quistis trailed off, her full lips still parted in surprise. "Have you been there all this time? Matron's been looking for you."

Seifer frowned. "Yeah, here I am.... still alive. Sorry to disappoint you."

"That's not what I meant," Quistis said quietly, but Seifer wasn't looking at her. He was glaring at Squall, and Squall was glaring right back.

"Well, whatever you meant, Instructor.... my professional opinion of Blackball is offered to Zell, Irvine and Selphie's mission. After all, I was the one who got the sample for you."

"You have a bruise on your face," Quistis pointed out.

"Really?!" He gasped mockingly, but calmed himself. No, he would rise above this. "Yeah, Raijin gave it to me."

"He did?" Quistis asked. "But..... how can we trust you?" She asked. "After all.... it was you that started the Garden War."

Seifer looked away. "You don't have to remind me, Quistis."

"And, you and Rinoa...." Squall trailed off angrily. His lips had gone white with rage.

Seifer started laughing. "Me and Rinoa _what_?" Seifer asked between chuckles. "If you're going to say were a couple, please don't. Why don't you ask your lovely wife exactly about our relationship?" Seifer asked, cocking his head and giving the evil eye to his former rival.

"I don't need to ask her to know you took advantage of her. Or, that you gave her to Adel."

Seifer's expression became sad. "I was under Ultimecia's possession...." Her name was the hardest word he'd had to say. "I may be a bit of an asshole, but I wouldn't have willingly killed her. And, as for taking advantage of her... only if she had a dick."

Squall's brow contracted in a frown, and he looked confused for a while, mouth opening and closing. Quistis seemed to clue in much faster, blinking her large sapphire eyes. "So, anyway. This conversation is boring me. Do you want me to give you a professional alchemist makeup on Blackball, or not?"

"We don't need you," Squall said, voice clipped. "We can get someone from Galbadia. From anywhere," he hissed.

"Fine," Seifer muttered, standing up. "It will just be a second-rate job, and will take twice as long, since I'm actually in the same room as the fucking thing."

"Wait!" Quistis exclaimed. "Um, perhaps you're right."

"No," Squall told her quietly. "Besides, he might be addicted," he whispered.

"Fuck you, Squall!" Seifer exclaimed angrily. "I have more reason in the world to want to get rid of Blackball than you, or even they, ever could!" He pointed to the three SeeD on the couch. "Blackball is just a mission to you. It's an order from Timber, just a contract. You didn't have to watch your best friend waste away and destroy himself. I'll do the research, but only for them, not for you, up on your goddamn high horse, even after a decade. Must be easy to judge when you stay locked in a gilded tower."

Squall didn't reply, only silently fumed. Seifer just grumbled under his breath, and got up off the couch, disappearing out of the room. He went into Zell's bedroom, for in there, he wouldn't be able to hear Squall's blank voice anymore. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding his head in his hands. He breathed out, his whole body starting to shake violently. It wasn't because of tears. It was just from jangled nerves, from the fact that he couldn't go back now. He'd shown his face to Squall.... he couldn't go back to lying, to being simply Raef Emaissyl, blacksmith. He breathed out, wondering if Squall was going to catch the next train to Timber with gunblade out. Nah, he'd probably take an airship. It was faster. He'd come storming in, wanting to settle their old scores, wanting to defend Rinoa's chastity. The thought made Seifer snort into his palms. He stayed like that for a long time, eyes closed and holding his head. Suddenly, his heart constricted, and his mind kept asking _What have you done, Seifer?_

He stayed like that for a long time, back bowed, slumped in defeat, his world coming crashing down around him all over again. This time, there were no angry mobs out for his dead body swinging from a tree.... at least, not yet. He sighed when he felt hands on his back, then strong arms wrapping around his shoulders. The online meeting must have been over. Seifer wrapped his arms around Zell's trim waist, pressing his sore cheek against Zell's warm stomach.

"What you did was brave," Zell praised, heat rising to his cheeks as he ran his fingers through Seifer's brown hair.

"It was stupid," Seifer whispered against Zell's abdomen. "He's probably on his way to Timber now...."

"He isn't," Zell replied, letting out a shaky breath as Seifer squeezed him firmly. "At least not yet. As long as we promised to keep an eye on you for suspicious behaviour. The mission comes first for him, after all." Zell's heart fluttered when he felt Seifer's warm breath through his shirt. "It started raining while we were talking to Garden. I don't think you could get home."

Seifer looked up as Zell pulled away, and then sat on the edge of the bed beside him. "You can stay here, though."

"Thanks," Seifer muttered, lightly tapping Zell's knee in a gesture of appreciation. "I shouldn't have..." He stopped himself.

"I think you've been looking for an excuse to become Seifer Almasy fully again, and this was it. Just like I was finding an excuse to finally tell people about myself... about being gay."

"Does Squall know?" Seifer asked bitterly.

"....no." Zell pitched forward, resting his temple against Seifer's muscular shoulder. "But, it was you that made me want to stop lying."

Seifer wrapped an arm around Zell's shoulder. The gestures between them were thick with sexual possibility, and yet they were chaste gestures of people who just desired human contact at the same time. "I guess it was you that made me want to stop lying, too."

"It just seems too weird," Zell admitted, whispering against the side of Seifer's neck. "Us... like this."

"I dunno," Seifer said. "There's always been camaraderie there... even if we were too busy fighting to notice it." He made an amused noise. "Seems like a lifetime ago."

"It _was_ a lifetime ago."

Seifer didn't feel the need to reply, and Zell didn't feel the need to say anything more. Both were silently introverted, for each man had begun themselves on a new sort of path in life, with one simple action that night. And, that they were doing it in each other's company seemed to make it less frightening.

While it was another dreary, dark and rainy night in Timber, Dollet was having a beautiful night, the stars shimmering in the sky, the air that perfect balance between crisp and balmy. Count Aka-Manah walked the streets of the former Empire, watching all the people around him. Timber was still his stronghold, and he would be returning there in the morning, but it was fun to travel, to see other cities that he could confetti with Blackball. Blackballers were popping up in various places around the world, but not with the same force as Timber. Daeva wanted another explosion before he set the second phase of his plan into motion. And, how hilarious it would be....

Daeva sat at a table under an awning at a sidewalk bistro, overlooking Dollet's harbour and the black, night-time waters of the Dollet Ocean. There were merry strings of lights dappling the awning of the cafe as Daeva ordered a fancy coffee, watching all the people around him, all ripe for picking.

"Is this seat taken?" A dark-haired, familiar man asked, sitting anyway. He didn't need an invitation.

"Checking up on me, My Lord?" Daeva asked, stirring his coffee, black and icy blue eyes scanning the crowds.

Bahamut didn't reply.

"Well, you don't need to answer," Diablos murmured with a graceful shrug. "You're becoming quite predictable, you know?"

"And, you aren't?" Etanin asked, raising a dramatically arched eyebrow. "You're looking for another city to pepper, old friend."

"You're so clever," the disguised demon cooed sarcastically. Though, under the table, his foot had started to move up Bahamut's leg, winking when it found its target. But, Bahamut showed no reaction. "You're also no fun." He put some gil on the table, and stood up. Bahamut also stood up, staring blankly at Diablos, seeing the demon under the veneer of humanity, his pretty and androgynous human face, but the body of a definite man. "Speaking of fun..." Daeva mused, looping his arm through Etanin's as they walked down the street. "Mr. Alwaid, would you like to come to a little party I'm throwing?" Dollet was a very liberal city, so two men walking arm in arm didn't so much as bat an eyelash. "It will be _quite _the shindig. Half of Westphal will be there. The others of the court are welcome, too. Even Alexander," he added with a rolling of his hypnotic eyes.

"What sort of party?"

"Well, you'll just have to show up, won't you?" It was said in a very light and playful manner, but the tone was dark and predatory.

"Those SeeD are starting to close in on you," Bahamut pointed out darkly. "Djinn has reported to me...."

"Blah, blah, blah..." Diablos interrupted. Djinn was Ifrit's human name. "It's not like I'm hiding very hard. If those SeeD don't find me, then that Sorceress in Esthar will." He stopped as they walked down the old cobblestone streets of Dollet's downtown. "Why did you really come here, My Lord?"

Bahamut remained silent as they continued to walk, slowly heading down to the white sands of Dollet's posh beaches. There were a few people around as Daeva kept trying to flirt with his King, whispering things in ancient languages against the side of Etanin's neck. They kept walking towards the shore, where a solitary figure was standing, waves gently lapping at bare feet as he threw pebbles into the water. Each one skipped forever, disappearing from sight, not falling into the waters. The figure was that of a child, a boy of only 13 with silver hair and eyes that were bluer than anything human could have possibly been.

"You're late," the child said in a sweet, innocent voice as Bahamut and Diablos stopped at the shore.

"I doubt you minded, Manannan," Bahamut answered, speaking to Manannan mac Lir, known more famously to humans as God of the Oceans, Leviathan. "You had the ocean to keep you company."

"Hey, kiddo!" Diablos greeted, patting the serpent god on the head in a condescending manner. "Aren't you adorable?" He pinched the child's rosy cheek, getting his hand slapped away. Diablos just laughed, loving to tease their pint-sized companion.

"Don't call me that," Manannan hissed, putting his fists on his hips, little tough guy. Leviathan may have eternally been a thirteen year old boy with an adorable face and apple cheeks, but he was the oldest of all Summons. Before entering the new court that Bahamut had started over a million years ago, Manannan had long been worshipped as a God of the Seas, under various names as ages passed. But, with each passing age, people believed in different things, and his powers had started to fade. But, Bahamut had offered him a place in this ancient court, and doing so had revitalized Manannan, and he forever became known as Leviathan.

"So, this is why you're in Dollet?" Diablos asked, arm still looped with Bahamut's.

"Jealous?" Leviathan asked, smiling brightly and teasingly at the demon Summon.

"You wish, kid." Diablos crossed his arms, but he actually was a little jealous. "Are you here to keep an eye on me, Manannan?"

Leviathan made a face. "Don't be so egotistical. There are things in our worlds that do not concern you."

Diablos made a rude noise. "Well, have your meeting then. I don't care." He pulled a card out, dropping it in the pocket of Bahamut's brown leather bomber coat. "Here is my room number at the Dollet Hotel, if you want to have some _adult _company tonight," said the demon with so many different meanings.

Leviathan paid no attention. Harsh words and taunting was what Diablos was best at, and he loved when people took the bait, and Leviathan was rarely one of them. He wouldn't foolishly fall into Diablos's little games like Alexander did. But, he also knew that it meant something sexual. When in human form like this, even Summons felt old human pulls such as those, and it was no secret in the Ancient Courts that Diablos and Bahamut had a very.... _personal_ relationship. The way that the two Summons in very human bodies stared at each other for a moment made Leviathan briefly jealous. Not because of them directly, but because since he was trapped in a child's body for all eternity, only young girls and pedophiles seemed to be interested in his human body sexually.

Diablos just cut his hands through the air, as if washing himself from the whole situation. It bored him. He raised an eyebrow at his Lord and started to walk back towards downtown. As he did, somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he heard someone singing.

__

Vi'kshatlatha Kollerurlah, dos meik u'sheikaram dahzi.

So'ulurha dos y'khexial xialiphi dos meikaka.

Vi'shak xillath xerthar dal akaxa doxapha...

And, this voice was coming from Dollet. From a house in the neighbourhood known as Mountainview. It was a woman singing, her voice beautiful and mournful, and it filled Diablos with satisfaction and power. Each word she sang made him stronger, and when a few voices joined hers, he felt the swell in the core of him. Diablos closed his eyes, humming along with the tune being sung across the city, wondering if they would sing so beautifully after he was done with them.

Zell stirred, light hitting his face from the crack between the blinds. He looked around, but Seifer wasn't there. They had planned to just sleep in the same bed, like they'd done at Seifer's house. But, the other man wasn't there. Zell noticed that there were Triple Triad cards littered in the sheets. He and Seifer had played a few rounds and talked... Zell must have dozed off.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes, stretching and letting out a big yawn, a little disappointed that he wasn't waking up next to Seifer. If Zell was looking at Seifer as a potential lover (which he _was_), they were going about their relationship in a very backwards way. Normally, you didn't just plainly sleep in the same bed as someone until after the sex had gotten dull, or even before you'd even _kissed._ Zell got up and stripped off the clothes he'd fallen asleep in. He didn't bother closing the door, because he was hoping that Seifer would indeed walk in on him. Zell went to the bathroom and had a quick shower, thinking all the while. When he thought about Seifer like this, it quickened his heart, but it also made him hesitate. After all, this was _Seifer._ This was his childhood bully, this was the former Sorceress's Knight, this was a man that Zell had not only disliked, but had despised. How could someone he'd hated so much before now be such a source of emotional connection now? As Zell brushed his teeth and half dried his hair, he considered that it could be because Seifer was a mix of his old, disagreeable self, and a totally new self that was just so different. Zell himself was also guilty of this juxtaposition. Seifer still had some of his fiery old self in there, but it had been humbled by his new, more mature and thoughtful self. Those words exactly could have also described Zell. He wondered if Seifer also wondered about this stuff... if they would make a good couple, and about the reasons why they shouldn't get into a relationship. Like the fact that Zell would be going back to Balamb, and Seifer would stay here. Like Garden's 'promiscuity' laws. Like the dislike for Seifer within Garden.

But, Zell didn't really want to think about those reasons not to. He only wanted to think about how good he felt merely talking to Seifer, how Seifer challenged him mentally, how Seifer still had a sharp tongue, but it was softened around the edges by the compassion he'd learned over the past decade. Zell sighed, putting on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, keeping his feet bare. Maybe Seifer didn't even think of him like that at all. Maybe Seifer only saw him as a new friend, and not as a mate in the least. He shrugged, going out into his living room, seeing Seifer sitting at the table, a small kit of tools laid out around him.

"Where'd you get the tools?" Zell asked, picking up a miniscule knife.

Seifer took the small scalpel back, shaking his head at Zell who had picked up a glass slide for the small microscope he'd also brought. "Just leave it..." He rolled his eyes. "You're like a six-year-old." Seifer sighed, stretching his arms over his head. He took his glasses off and rubbed his tired eyes. "I went back to the shop after you fell asleep and picked up my toolkit. I figured I'd do it here, so I could tell you as soon as I found anything out."

"And?" Zell asked, pulling up a chair to sit beside the other man. "You've been up all night?"

"I usually am," Seifer muttered, cracking his back. "And, no. Not yet."

"Well, I guess I can start to look into what happened with Diablos... since he kind of left Garden's icon item. I didn't know GF could do that...." He trailed off.

"There's a lot about GF that we don't know, I think. We only ever really see them as big magic spells, but there has to be more to it than that."

"Me, Selphie and Irvine could find out about Talman Sinclaire."

"They probably won't be up for a while. They were still up after you went to sleep. Irvine was the one who drove me to Archimedes. My truck is still parked at the Pub."

"He did?" Zell asked, a little surprised Irvine had been so generous.

"Yeah," Seifer answered, frowning. "What, you figured he'd shoot me in the head as soon as you had your back turned? I don't think you give him enough credit. Though, I think it was just an excuse for him to hit the all-night newsstand across the street from the shop. I think he bought his weight in porno."

Zell said nothing.

"He's level-headed. Always has been, even since the Orphanage."

"You remember that?" Zell asked, a little wistful. "I mean, we take the GF pills, but it doesn't help with things we'd already forgotten. I remember most of the orphanage, but there are still holes." Zell narrowed his eyes. "Do you take the pills?"

Seifer nodded. "Yeah. I have them delivered from Galbadia Garden."

"They didn't recognize you?"

"They never saw my face. I did it all through online purchase. Because I'm a certified alchemist, that's reason enough for me to carry a GF without investigation." Blacksmiths and other such professions that readily used items had degrees for alchemy. They had to study through a school in order to learn methods and such. There were two schools of alchemy, one in Balamb Town that often certified SeeDs who wanted their alchemy degree, and a school in Deling City.

"What rank are you?" Zell asked, staring intently at Seifer's face, thinking about how lonely he would be when he went back to Balamb when this mission was all over. And, it looked like it was going to be over soon.

"Master Level A," Seifer answered, a little smugly. That was the highest rank an alchemist could receive. "You know..." He trailed off, punching something into a handheld sort of device. "Selphie's a pretty good guitar player."

Zell raised his eyebrows. "Huh....? First Irvine drives you to the shop, then Selphie plays guitar for you? I'm glad that they aren't flipping out around you, but I'm still surprised. Pleasantly so," Zell added hastily.

Seifer shrugged. "Well, everyone changes after ten years, I don't care who they are." He looked over at Zell. "Even you've changed, Chicken-Wuss." Seifer reached out and ruffled the front of Zell's hair. "I guess I can't really call you that anymore, what without your rooster hair."

"Bastard!" Zell exclaimed, swatting the other man's hand away. But, blood was rising to his cheeks. "So, did Selphie get you to try and join her band?"

"Who says I didn't join it?" Seifer asked, looking into the microscope, his glasses still off his face. "Tambourine player number three." He looked over at Zell with a sad smile. "I'm not getting anything yet. I guess I have to wait for the chemical reading to finish up." He gestured to the electronic device in his hand.

"How long does that take?" Zell asked as Seifer got up and sunk down on the couch, yawning. Zell followed, sitting beside him, close enough that the lengths of their legs were pressed together.

Seifer shrugged his broad shoulders, slumping back with his long legs stretched out in front of him, head resting against the back of the sofa. "An hour... a week... I don't know. With something this complex, I really can't guess."

Zell curled his legs under him, looking at Seifer's profile. His glasses were in his hands, but he didn't put them back on his face. It made Zell think of the old Seifer, the sheer passion of their fights. Seifer had known how to push all his buttons and get him angry, every single time. Now, he seemed to be doing it again, without having to say a word or raise a finger. However, they were totally different buttons that Seifer was pressing now. The way he smelled, the curve of his lower lip, the broadness of his chest and the flatness of his belly under his long-sleeved red shirt. "Seifer...?" Zell asked quietly.

Seifer's peridot eyes opened, looking over at the blonde. "Hmmm?"

"Do you think....?" Zell trailed off. "Nah, never mind."

"No, what?" Seifer asked, one arm draping over the back of the couch, fingertips resting on the nape of Zell's neck.

"Do you think... it would work out between us?"

"What, as a couple?"

Zell nodded, a lump rising in his throat. He felt like he'd swallowed a basketball.

"From a logical standpoint, probably not. After all, our past is a huge point against us, and the fact that you'll be going back to Balamb eventually, and I don't even want to set foot in Garden ever again. Plus, Squall would rather see me dead than with his best friend."

Zell nodded, Seifer vocalizing all the things he'd been thinking himself. He sighed heavily, looking into Seifer's pale green eyes. Their foreheads pressed together, Zell leaning towards the other man. Their noses brushed together, then their cheeks. "I used to hate you so much," Zell said quietly, even as he continued to nuzzle against Seifer, their cheeks rubbing against each other. They took in each other's scents, breathed against each other's skin, revelled in the feel of another man. Their lips hovered over each other, not kissing and yet so close to doing so.

"We shouldn't do this," Seifer whispered, breath mixing with Zell's. They were breathing into each other's mouths, a shiver moving down Zell's spine. Seifer's words vibrated against his chest.

"I know," Zell whispered back. Their lower lips brushed together, and then they were kissing. It was a very still kiss, only the sound of rain hitting the windows filling the room. It occurred to Zell that he was kissing Seifer Almasy of all people, and it occurred to Seifer that it was Chicken-Wuss that he was feeling so strongly for at that moment. He tasted Zell's top lip between his own, his heart painfully constricting in his chest. How long had it been since he'd felt this way? _Years_. They didn't really move their mouths in a real kiss, both a little unsure and very nervous. After all, there were too many reasons to count why this was a bad idea, and a messy situation waiting to happen. But, the fact that it just felt so _right_ was impossible to ignore.

They both let out shaky breaths, Zell thinking the exact same things as Seifer, and knowing that he was. He was thinking of all the years he'd been so lonely, and how right this felt, how right discovering a friendship with his former bully felt. Zell pressed his lips harder to Seifer's, and they started kissing slowly. Zell didn't care about the trivial reasons not to. He only cared about the emotional reasons that made the kiss so beautiful and fulfilling. Seifer gingerly wrapped his arms around Zell's smaller frame, pressing them closer together. Zell draped his arms around Seifer's shoulders, testing the kiss by slowly pushing his tongue into Seifer's mouth. He wondered if deepening the kiss would end it, and push Seifer away. But, that wasn't the case. Seifer kissed the other man back in kind, their tongues winding together, nimbly yet slowly tasting each other.

Zell and Seifer were in their own little world, so Selphie and Irvine waking up and coming through the connecting door meant nothing to them. Irvine and Selphie made no noise, not wanting to intrude.

"Who'd have ever thought we'd ever see this?" Irvine whispered, quietly enough that only his girlfriend could hear him. "_Zell _and_ Seifer_ of all people." He put a hand on Selphie's shoulder. "Let's go to the Lonely Orchid for breakfast."

"Yeah...." She murmured under her breath, peeking around the doorframe at them. She'd known that Zell was starting to feel something for Seifer, she'd been able to see it in his eyes. And, after last night talking with Seifer and getting to know him again as Zell had slept, she'd seen it in his eyes, too. Their conversations had started out a bit awkward, Seifer awake because he was always up at night, and Selphie and Irvine up because they were also night owls. After a while of thawing out around each other, it had felt like old times. After all, they'd grown up with Seifer, just as they'd grown up with each other, just as they'd grown up with Quistis and Squall.

"Come on," Irvine hissed quietly, pulling on Selphie's upper arm. "Let's leave them alone." He started to pull her along, but she was holding her ground. For such a small woman, Selphie was rather strong. He rolled his eyes at her, seeing a look in her eyes that he knew very well, for it was in his own eyes often. Desire. "You old pervert..." He murmured playfully. "You're getting off on this."

She swatted him away, still staring at the two men embracing across the room, curled up together on the couch. Their lips broke apart, but they were still pressed together, lips hovering together. They then hugged tightly, not caring about anyone else in the world, and that was obvious even to Selphie as she watched them. Selphie allowed Irvine allowance in his fantasies about lesbians because she herself had her own fantasies about two men. She'd never actually seen two men kiss in person, only in movies or in magazine spreads. The fact that Zell was one of her oldest friends, and she's also grown up with Seifer didn't seem to matter. She kept staring, even as Irvine picked her up around the waist from behind, and dragged her away.

Seifer and Zell hadn't even noticed Selphie and Irvine coming and going, only caring about each other. Screw Selphie and Irvine. Screw Raijin and the Blackballers. Screw Squall and Garden. "I should go," Seifer whispered into Zell's hair as they hugged tightly.

"Go?" Zell asked, brow creasing in confusion. "Where?" He asked, a little fearfully. Perhaps Seifer was second-guessing what had just happened. Zell's heart was still beating quickly. "The roads to your place are probably washed out...."

"To pick up my truck, and stop by the store," Seifer answered, sweeping Zell's hay-coloured hair off his face. "I'll be back, though." He stood up, and started to put on his coat, pulling his umbrella out of the urn in the corner where Zell's also was. Umbrella stands and urns were as important as ovens and fridges in rainy Timber. He kissed Zell's forehead before leaving, slipping his eyeglasses onto his face.

Zell pursed his lips as the door closed, still tasting Seifer's kiss. He flopped back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Part of Zell had wondered if he and Seifer would have had sex, right here on the couch. The erection growing in his pants had more than wanted that, but his heart was satisfied. He didn't think they were ready for that. They were still too unsure around each other. Still tasting Seifer on his mouth, Zell was content, though he wanted more. It wasn't a sexual want, but a want for emotional completion, for the feeling he got when he talked to Seifer, when he looked in his familiar and fiery peridot eyes, the way he felt just being in Seifer's company. He wanted to feel those things for more than a few brief moments. Now that Zell had found what he'd wanted for years, he didn't want to turn his back on it. He didn't want to get a call from Garden saying to come back to Balamb, that their mission in Timber was over, that he would have to leave Seifer behind. He didn't know if he would be able to...

"Mornin', Mr. Emaissyl!" Xera greeted from behind the counter as Seifer walked into the shop. "A little surprised to see you at this time of day." She turned down the radio that she had under the counter. She gestured to the counter. "Mail came."

Seifer nodded, shaking some rain droplets out of his coat as he picked up the mail. Bills and such things, as well as a few catalogues from item dealers around the world, and some sort of envelope personally addressed to him. "Xera, is everyone here?" Seifer asked distantly, opening his office door and turning on the light. He put the mail on the table, ripping open the personal letter with his gloved index finger.

"Everyone?" She echoed.

"Gietzen and Tev," he murmured. Tev was another of their clerks.

"They're upstairs sorting out the storage area."

"Can you all come here for a moment? I need to discuss something with you."

"Right on." She left as Seifer read his letter. It wasn't actually a letter, but rather an invitation in calligraphy. Seifer pursed his lips as he read, tasting Zell still. It made him smile. The invitation was for a party in Westphal, being held by Count Aka-Manah. For Raef Emaissyl and 'guests'. It was a party, but also a benefit for the new children's wing on the Forest Owl Hospital, named after the resistance faction that started the wheels in motion for Timber's freedom from Galbadia a decade ago. The name always brought up bad memories for Seifer, and thoughts of if Rinoa was proud to have a hospital essentially named after her. Seifer knew that General Caraway put a lot of money into the Hospital, maybe a way to mend fences with his long-estranged daughter. Seifer had no idea how their relationship was now. He'd always thought she was a bit selfish when it came to her thoughts on her father. Back when they'd first met, she'd been vocal on the subject of General Caraway, how much she'd disliked him and disagreed with him. Seifer had always listened with a bit of hostility. After all, he didn't have a parent to get angry with. Sure, it sucked that her mother died when she was so young, but at least she still had her father. She didn't know how good she had it. To have a father that loved her, and to just turn her back on that like a spoiled princess.... it never sat well with Seifer.

He shrugged, keeping the invitation handy. Maybe Zell would like to go to the party with him....

"You wanted to see us?" Xera asked, hovering in the doorway of the office as Gietzen and Tev, a girl with pale blonde hair and a sturdy frame. She was a good worker, though rather silent.

"Is something wrong...?" Gietzen asked. "We already had our staff meeting this month."

Seifer waved his hand, sitting on the edge of his desk. "No, nothing. It's just... well, there's going to be a change around here."

"What sort?" Xera asked. Her gaze briefly went to the store, keeping an eye on things.

"Nothing that _really_ concerns you. Raef Emaissyl will no longer be your boss."

"You're selling the store?" Tev asked.

"No!" Gietzen exclaimed.

"I'm not selling the store," Seifer murmured with a roll of his eyes. "I'm on my way to Town Hall to change my name."

All three employees stared blankly at their boss.

Seifer sighed, but willed himself to continue. The taste of Zell on his mouth was enough reason to keep going. He wasn't going to hide anymore. "Raef isn't my real name. I changed it about 8 years ago. But, I'm changing it back."

Again, he got blank stares.

"I changed it for some.... rather ugly reasons, but I'm sick of pretending. I changed it because of a part of my past I'd rather forget."

Silence, but all their eyes were transfixed on him.

"My real name is Seifer Almasy. I don't know if that will ring any bells with you."

After a lengthy pause, Xera murmured "Seifer Almasy.... the Sorceress's Knight?"

Seifer sucked the inside of his cheek, frowning. "Yes," he finally replied. "I'm not proud of it, but I can't run forever."

"Is that why those SeeD were here?" Gietzen asked.

"No. They were here asking questions about Blackball. They came back because of who I really am. I grew up at Garden. I know all of them."

Xera shrugged. "If people can forgive Sorceress Edea, I'm sure they can forgive you. Nice to meet you, Mr. Almasy." She winked.

Tev stood up stiffly. "My brother died because of you and the Sorceress. He was at Trabia Garden."

Seifer sighed heavily. He'd known this wasn't going to be easy. "I wish I could take it back, Tev. I think about all those people every night, but nothing I say can come close to an apology for what I did under... the Sorceress's control. But.... I am sorry."

Her mouth was a thin line, and she walked out of the office. Seifer put his hand to his forehead wearily. "I'll talk to her," Gietzen offered. "She's just shocked, Mr. Emaissyl. I mean... uh... Mr. Almasy....?"

"Don't worry about it, Gietzen. She has every right to be angry. If Tev doesn't want to work for me anymore, I won't hold it against her."

Gietzen and Xera started talking about issues in the store, almost like Seifer hadn't said anything at all. "That cooler for the ice items keeps leaking around the rad," Xera pointed out, writing some stuff on a small pad of paper.

Seifer looked at them for a while. "I thought you'd be angrier, like Tev."

Gietzen shrugged. "No offence, Mr. Ema... Almasy. But, people forget easily. It's been ten years. Nobody really cares anymore."

Seifer really wondered if that was true, but he would take whatever the populace could dish out on him. He'd been a coward, hiding from everything for a long time. He'd been a coward for so long... he'd been a spineless coward under Edea/Ultimecia's tutelage, and he'd been cowardly for the last decade, hiding. It was something he didn't want to be anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

****

Five

Squall paced back and forth in his bedroom in Balamb, rolling the now powerless Steel Orb in his bare hands, his gloves discarded on the desk nearby. How had Diablos just taken his power out of the icon item, and why? What was the point?

__

GF are here to help us... right? Why would they want to harm humans? Aren't we their reasons for even existing? Whatever... I don't understand.....

Squall was thinking of Diablos, but he was also thinking of Seifer. That was even more complicated to mentally work out. Why was Seifer in Timber? Why was he going under a different name? Why were Selphie, Irvine and especially Zell working with him?

__

Zell, I know you hate him.... I don't get it. You weren't even glaring at him. And, Selphie and Irvine... don't you remember how he gave Rinoa to Adel? How he followed Ultimecia? But, Matron also followed her. But, Matron.... she tried to make amends. He didn't. Matron's been asking about him.... should I tell her? What should I do? How is Rinoa going to feel.....? What did Seifer mean about 'only if Rinoa had a dick'? Didn't he and Rinoa date?

Rinoa came into their bedroom, bringing in some dry-cleaning she'd picked up. Even eight years after they'd gotten married, Rinoa still wondered if Squall would rather live at Garden. But, after getting married, a dorm room at the school just seemed too cramped and childish. So, they'd gotten an apartment in Balamb Town, where Squall could still be close by. She put the clothes in her closet, then put the jackets she'd picked up for Squall in his closet, which was far less full than her own. "Hi," she greeted, kissing him on the cheek. She smiled, looking into Squall's face, but then frowned. "Whoa.... what happened?" She sat on the edge of the bed, suddenly worried. Squall was always introverted, even a decade later, but she knew when something was _seriously_ wrong, and now was one of those times. She'd become an 'expert Squall-reader', as Quistis called it.

"Squall?" She asked quietly after a period of silence, wondering if he even knew she was in the room.

"Huh?" He looked up, still rolling the Steel Orb in his palms.

"What's wrong?" Rinoa asked, smoothing the comforter around her. She'd just recently chosen it, but Squall hadn't noticed the change. He never did. "You didn't come to bed last night. Important Garden work?" There were often times that Squall wouldn't come home at night. Most women would have thought their husbands were fooling around behind their backs, but Rinoa knew that Squall would never do that. Worrying about Squall cheating on her was something she never had to do. He didn't really care about that stuff. "Squall?" She asked again.

He furrowed his scarred brow, thinking of Seifer with brown hair and glasses. "Rinoa....."

"Yeah?" The Sorceress asked quietly. People often forgot Rinoa was a Sorceress, and she was glad of it. It was a part of her that she didn't care for. In fact, she hated it. Though it had been a decade, she still had fear for the powers within her. And, even though it was a decade later, Rinoa was still a fledgling Witch. She would never be as powerful as Edea, and not just because Edea had the cumulative powers of Ultimecia and Adel within her. It was because Rinoa would never embrace her powers like Edea had, though the powers in her were indeed the former ones of Squall's 'Matron'. "Sweetie, something's really wrong. Tell me."

Squall stared at her for a while. "Can I ask you something? About your past?"

"What about it?" She asked. "Something about my parents?"

"No, about before we met... how you and Seifer..." Squall trailed off, not knowing what words to use.

"How me and Seifer what?" She asked, folding her hands in her lap.

"Did you ever kiss him?"

Rinoa was confused, not knowing why Squall was bringing this up out of the blue. She'd never talked about her past with Seifer really to Squall. It was something he hadn't wanted to know about. And, it was just that. The _past._ "Why are you asking....?"

"Just tell me!" He demanded angrily, closing his fist around Diablos's former icon item.

She was taken aback by his show of anger. "No, we never kissed."

"Why not?"

"I don't know.... why does it matter? It was a _long_ time ago, Squall."

"You made me think he was your boyfriend."

Rinoa frowned. "I never said he was. I... I don't know what we were."

"You said that you thought you were in love with him. After we thought he had been executed."

"Maybe I did. I was only 16! What in Hyne's name are you bringing this up for, Squall?"

"Because I saw him last night!" Squall shouted, slumping against the wall.

Rinoa's lips parted in surprise. "You... you did? Where?"

"Timber." Squall kept staring at the Steel Orb. So, Seifer was an alchemist now, was he? What if... what if he had something to do with Blackball, really? He denied it so forcefully, but this was Seifer Almasy. Could he be trusted?

"You went to Timber last night?" Rinoa asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I saw him during my conference call with Zell, Irvine and Selphie."

"What....?" Rinoa was full of confusion.

"He's an alchemist, and he's helping them with Blackball."

Rinoa slowly shook her head, floored. "So... he's been in Timber... all this time." She stood up. "But, when I was doing census work, I never came across talk of him."

"He goes by a different name now."

"He does?" Rinoa put her hand on Squall's shoulder. He was very tense.

"Raef Emaissyl..." Squall hissed out.

Rinoa's eyebrows shot up. "_That's_ Seifer?!"

Squall nodded stiffly, still rolling the orb in his hands.

"What's that....?" Rinoa asked.

"Diablos took his power out of our icon item."

Rinoa was again shocked. "Can they do that?"

"Apparently so," Squall snapped. _Does Seifer know more than he's telling? Why is he back....? But, he did find out that Blackball is an icon item. So, all these addicts have really been junctioning GF. Is that why they're acting strange....? They're forgetting who they are. They aren't trained enough to junction. Why didn't Odine or Matron sense this? Maybe I should contact Laguna.....No, Laguna wouldn't be any help._

"Squall?" Rinoa asked, stepping in his line of sight. She saw a million things silently passing over his pretty face. Age hadn't lessened the delicacy of his features. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"Blackball is an icon item, according to Seifer. All these people who have been taking it are really junctioning a GF, and apparently it's Diablos."

"Oh. That's serious, huh?" She sat back down on the bed. This sounded like it was beyond her. After Time Compression, things had started to go back to normal. Irvine had gotten enough credits at Galbadia Garden that he was eligible to take the SeeD exam, and he'd passed. So, that made Rinoa the only one out of their 'gang' not to be a SeeD. Squall had gotten her the job in Garden's archive offices, but it wasn't the same. And, it wasn't like Rinoa could have trained to become one. She could have taken the classes, and maybe tried the exams, but being a mercenary and a fighter just wasn't in her blood. She wondered if Ellone felt the same way. She was the only one of the 'Orphanage Gang' that wasn't a fighter. Seifer may not be SeeD, but he had those skills in his blood. But, he'd been gone for so long..... Would people be happy to see him again? Rinoa knew that Matron asked about him often. Again, she felt beyond all this....

"Squall...?" Rinoa asked quietly as he sat on the edge of the bed, but far enough away that she had to reach her arm out to touch him. "How do you feel about seeing him again?"

Squall looked at his wife. "Angry."

"But.... why?" Rinoa asked. "How was Zell reacting....?" She tucked some hair behind her ears.

"Calm!" Squall exclaimed, a helpless tone coming into his voice. "I don't get it!"

Rinoa scooted across the bed, wrapping her arm around Squall's shoulder. "People do change..... It's been a long time, and I'm sure that Seifer's been through a lot, especially if he had to change his name..."

"How can you defend him?" Squall asked angrily, letting Rinoa wrap him into an embrace. He buried his face in her silken, fragrant hair. "You're the one that suffered most because of him..." Her body was so warm and soft against him, and he held her back.

"He suffered, too...." Rinoa pointed out. "Do you think he _really_ wanted to give me to Adel?" Rinoa asked, running her fingers through Squall's hair. "We all suffered."

"We wouldn't have suffered if it weren't for him," Squall muttered.

"Don't you think you're being childish?" Rinoa asked, tilting his face up to look in his stormy blue eyes.

Squall's helpless look turned into one of anger. "Childish?" He echoed, pulling away from her. "No, I don't think that. Maybe I'm just the only one that remembers that he tried to kill all of us. He tried to give you to Adel... he fucking tortured me!"

"You don't have to remind me," she muttered darkly.

He got off the bed, the Steel Orb still balled in his tight fist.

"Where are you going?" She asked as Squall jerkily pulled on a simple black v-neck sweater.

"Out," he muttered, not wanting to look at her. Had she forgotten the past?! But.... was Rinoa right? Was he being childish? Squall went down to his Tempest, which was parked in its usual spot, and drove down the Balamb Highway to Garden. One thing he disliked about Balamb was that there weren't many roads that he could just _drive _on with his powerful sports car. He often took the ferry to the Galbadian or Esthar continents, just to drive. He was considering doing that just now, wanting to take the ferry to Timber, to see everything with his own eyes.

He parked his car and went up to his office, pacing around and thinking. But, his thoughts left him nowhere new. He didn't know what the meaning behind Diablos leaving the icon item was, and he also didn't know what Seifer was up to, or why Selphie and Zell were trusting him so easily, letting him in their apartment. On his way to his office, he'd noticed that Headmaster Cid's light was still on. He should probably make a report. Squall just found there were too many variables to make one as soon as he'd had the conference call the night before. He walked up the hall, the Garden silent during after-curfew hours. He gently rapped on the door with his knuckle, still holding the Steel Orb. He felt badly about raising his voice to Rinoa earlier. _It wasn't her fault...._

"Come in!" called Headmaster Cid's pleasant voice. Cid had come back to Garden the other day from his visit to Galbadia, and his meeting with the other Garden Headmasters. "Oh, hello Squall!" Cid rose from behind his desk, coming around it, a big smile on his face. He pushed his glasses up his nose. "Hard at work?"

"Sir, I have a report to make."

"Hmmm." Cid crossed his arms, giving Squall a thoughtful look. "You sound more serious than usual. Is there a problem?"

Squall frowned as he looked at Headmaster Cid. The dark hair, the glasses.... it made Squall think of Seifer, for there was a little bit of a resemblance. No, no... Squall just had Seifer on the brain, that's all. "Perhaps. I talked to Selphie, Zell and Irvine last night."

"Did something happen?" Cid asked, concern in his blue eyes.

"Sort of." Squall put his hands at the small of his back. "They have obtained a sample of Blackball, and have the opinion of a professional alchemist on it. Blackball is actually an icon item, and the users have been junctioning a GF."

"How do they know this?" Cid asked, looking a little worried.

Squall pursed his lips. "Because the alchemist said so. He felt it when he touched the sample. And, they also believe because Blackball is like a Steel Orb, that it's Diablos behind it." Squall opened his fist. "This is Garden's icon item for Diablos. It no longer holds any power."

Cid frowned deeply, taking the Steel Orb from Squall. "How can this be....? And, this alchemist is certain? Who is it?"

"He goes by the name Raef Emaissyl, sir. But...."

"Raef Emaissyl?" Cid echoed. "Well, then I guess we can trust him. After all, Garden's been trying to contact him for years about being a teaching consultant, but he never replies to us...."

"Sir!" Squall interrupted sharply. "There's more."

"Oh? I'm sorry, please continue Squall."

"Raef Emaissyl isn't his real name. It's actually.... Seifer, Sir."

Cid was silent for a while, his eyes totally emotionless at first. But, then there was a flurry of activity in them, and Squall wondered what the other man was thinking.

"Seifer...?" Cid echoed, in a way that took Squall by surprise.

"Yes, Sir."

"He's alive.... he's been under our nose, all this time...." Cid trailed off, but Squall noticed he sounded far from angry.

"I don't know if we can trust him, Sir."

Cid frowned. "You trust Edea, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Then, why not Seifer? His actions were dictated by Ultimecia, same as Edea's." Cid stroked his chin, a look of wonder still on his face. "And... he was with Selphie, Zell and Irvine?"

Squall nodded.

"They must have thought carefully about this whole thing...." Cid sighed. "He's really alive..."

"Sir?" Squall cocked his head.

"Oh!" Cid exclaimed, like he'd forgotten Squall was in the room. And in fact, he had. Edea was the far more vocal of the two about missing their child, but Cid did miss him, and a lot. Seifer may have been a problem child, but he was still _their_ child. And, it made him feel closer to his wife at that moment, even if they were separated by the Horizon Ocean. And, it also made him bad for fighting with her before he'd left. They hadn't patched things up yet. She'd be so happy for this news. But, if Seifer had changed his name... he'd been hiding this whole time. What if he didn't want to see them? "Squall, thank you for telling me. I will contact Esthar as soon as possible, to see if we can figure out why and how a Guardian Force would just leave their icon item."

"And, about Seifer?" Squall asked.

"I think that Selphie and Zell can handle that."

"Yes, Sir." Squall left, but he didn't agree with Cid's order about leaving Seifer to Irvine, Zell and Selphie. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but it was that he didn't trust Seifer. Squall went back to his office, slumping in his chair, head resting in his hands on the large desk. Squall hadn't felt this conflicted in a long time, and he _hated_ feeling conflicted.

Things had been very busy in Timber for the past few days, especially for SeeD who were trying to help the Timber Police keep the peace. Zell, Selphie and Irvine had been worked to the bone. Blackballers were starting to riot, and the police force were overwhelmed. Because they were so busy, Zell hadn't seen Seifer since the day they'd kissed. Though it had happened three days ago, Zell could still taste it on his mouth, like it had just occurred.

Right now, he was rubbing some Xiphias Balm on his elbow, which was sore and stiff. About five years ago, Zell had broken it in a fight against a group of terrorists that had been blowing up trains out of Esthar. Now, it always acted up, and got stiff in this rainy weather of Timber's. Selphie was laying on the floor of Zell's living room, groaning because her back hurt. Irvine had gone out briefly to pick up some junk food and beer. They just wanted to relax for the evening, hoping that Timber Police wouldn't call for their help again. And, the research on Blackball wasn't going anywhere. They didn't know how to begin on Diablos. All they could really do for now was look up literature on the history of Guardian Forces. There actually wasn't that much about them. They were so shrouded in mystery, something that seemed so foolish now. How had they let themselves rely so much on something that they knew nothing about?

"I'm ba-aaack!" Irvine called, sailing into the room. He put the 12 pack of beer on the coffee table, putting his cowboy hat on Selphie's head. "Uhh... I thought you might want to see this." Irvine pulled out some magazines out of a plastic bag.

"No thanks," Zell muttered, seeing some magazine called _Sexy College Girls_.

"Not that!" Irvine exclaimed. He handed Zell a couple of tabloid magazines.

"More porno?" Selphie asked, frowning up at him from the floor. She'd sat up, and was now leaning against the coffee table.

"I got one for you, too..." He said in a condescending manner. He put a magazine in her hands with boys kissing each other on the cover.

"Awww!" Selphie exclaimed. "You're so sweet."

Zell frowned at the tabloids in his hand. Why would Irvine give him these ridiculous rags? But, then he saw it. A sidebar on the top of the cover. _Sorceress's Knight Returns! Living in Timber all this time! Page 3._

Zell flipped to page three, and saw a picture of Seifer from back then... ten years ago. Looking angry and surrounded by Galbadian soldiers. And, a picture from now. It looked like someone had taken the picture from across the street without Seifer knowing. He was downtown, and Zell read the story. Apparently, a clerk down at City Hall leaked the story that 'respected blacksmith Raef Emaissyl is actually Seifer Almasy in disguise. He came to city hall on Monday and had his name changed back.' Monday? That was the day that they'd kissed. Had Seifer really changed his name?

"What's that...?" Selphie asked, looking at Zell. "Why're you reading the tabloids?" She popped open a beer, raising an eyebrow. "Those things are so stupid. Oh nooooo, a Blobra and a woman mated in Galbadia. See the pictures inside!"

"Seifer changed his name back..." Zell trailed off.

"What?" Selphie went over and looked through one of the other ones.

"There was only a small blurb in the Timber Chronicle, and an even smaller blurb in the Galbadia Times. Only the tabloids seem to really care."

"Why would he do this?" Selphie asked.

"He's tired..." Zell trailed off. "He said he was sick of being afraid, of hiding."

Selphie nodded. "Have you seen him since....?" Selphie asked, putting her hand on Zell's shoulder. "Maybe he found out something about Blackball?"

"No," Zell answered. "I haven't seen him. But, maybe he did.... I dunno."

Selphie sat beside Zell on the couch as Irvine flipped through a stack of CDs. "Do ya miss him?"

Zell shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. Maybe a little, but then I wonder.... I mean, it hasn't been that long since we saw him again... I can't believe it's Seifer that I'm thinking about like this."

"Since when does it take more than a day?" Selphie asked. "I mean, Squall and Rinoa sort of fell for each other pretty early on. Look at me and Irvine... I'd forgotten all about him, but I started to feel things for him quickly when we met again. I think it's similar to you and Seifer. He has all the familiarity of the past, but he's changed. Sure, there's lots of the old Seifer in there, but he's learned a lot of humility. He's not the same person that started the Garden War." Selphie's eyes clouded. "Besides, that wasn't even him. It was Ultimecia."

"But, when you first saw him, you weren't quite so forgiving... maybe I'm just letting _other_ things blind me."

"I was surprised to see him," Selphie pointed out. "I got over it. Just like you did. And, I don't think it was your dick that made you change your mind about him. It was him alone. It was how you connected mentally." She tapped her temple with her index finger. "Besides, people who kiss each other like that aren't in it just for the sex."

Zell flushed. "Wh-what?"

"We kind of walked in on you..." Selphie trailed off with a wink, laughing nervously at the angered look on Zell's face. "It's not like we were spying!"

"Speak for yourself!" Irvine exclaimed, flopping down in a chair. "_I _wasn't spying!" He grew sombre, brushing some of his now chin-length hair out of his eyes. "You think Edea will have better luck with finding out about Diablos...?"

Selphie shrugged. "We haven't heard back yet..... I guess that's not good news."

"Well, and even if he tried to contact us, this is the first time we've really been here in three days." Irvine started air-drumming along with a song that came on.

"You should call him!!" Selphie exclaimed, smacking Zell's arm.

He just rolled his eyes at her. "We aren't children. He'll call about Blackball when he's ready to."

She grunted, crossing her arms and looking at Zell like he was a moron. It didn't seem childish for Zell to want to call Seifer... it seemed childish for Zell _not_ to. She just gave up and started talking to Irvine. She heard the phone ring after a while, Zell having started reading through the tabloids again. He laughed and showed her an obviously doctored photograph of a person that was supposed to be the Great Estharian Swamp-Monster, even though they didn't have swamps in Esthar.

"Hellooooo!" She asked, waving for Irvine to turn down the music.

"Good, you're there. I'm on my way." The person hung up the phone, and Selphie looked at the receiver for a moment before hanging it up.

"Wrong number?" Irvine asked.

"Seifer's coming over... I think." She shrugged, opening another beer. "He just kind of hung up."

Zell looked over, glad that Seifer was coming over, but a little apprehensive. When they didn't see each other for a stretch of time, no matter how small, Zell's mind started to work, his rational side wondering what the heck was going on, how he could so rapidly accept Seifer into his life again, and especially in _this_ way. Before, they'd merely been classmates and Seifer had been Zell's source of misery. But, now... he was such a source of contentment and joy... Zell didn't know how it was possible. But, when he heard a purposeful knock on their door, all his mental protests seemed to dissolve, and when Seifer just let himself in, too impatient to wait for someone to come to the door, Zell's heart constricted.

"Hey," Seifer muttered glumly, looking as tired as they all felt.

"Where have you been hiding?" Irvine asked, giving Seifer a salute. "SeeD don't like to be kept waiting..."

Seifer made a rude noise, coupled with a sarcastic face. When his gaze landed on Zell, he became uncertain. He sat down beside the other man, but wasn't sure how to greet him. He saw that same hesitation in Zell's face. Zell leaned in, as if they were going to kiss, but Selphie and Irvine were right there, so that was out. It's not like it was a secret to them what was happening, but it still felt awkward, and still a very private thing. But, shaking hands would have just been going too far into platonic territory. Zell looked around, seeing Irvine wrapped up in his magazine, but Selphie was looking at them with a lopsided grin on her face. Zell leaned in and kissed Seifer's cheek instead, actually kissing the corner of his mouth. It was chaste, and yet... so very intimate. Seifer kissed him back, and Zell felt warm right down to his toes.

"Awww," Selphie muttered in disappointment. "Only on the cheek?"

Seifer gave Zell a confused look, then looked over his shoulder at Selphie, who was smiling stupidly at them. "Hi..." She said.

He looked at her again incredulously before turning back to Zell. "I've been trying to call you on and off for the past couple of days."

Zell sighed, handing Seifer a beer, which the other man refused. "We've been really busy. Blackballers are starting to riot more. Where have _you_ been?"

"Working," Seifer muttered, groaning wearily as he kicked his boots off, slumping on the couch. "Because of the same riots, every fucking yahoo in Timber wants a weapon, and half of them actually got permits." He sighed. "And, I did get a chemical makeup on that Blackball."

"You did?" Selphie asked, kneeling beside him on the couch, hands in her lap.

"Doesn't help much, though. It's made of chemicals that no longer exist."

"Ummm, what?" Irvine asked. "They obviously exist if Blackball does."

"It's not like Diablos is just walking into Items 'R Us and buying this stuff. It's advanced alchemy and magic. Too advanced. I started to look through alchemy archives, and half the shit isn't even listed, and the others are all from _looonnnnggg _extinct."

"Stuff like what?" Selphie asked.

Seifer closed one eye as he thought. "Essence of Vith-Kuxsha, Varuna Wings, Hypello Blood... stuff like that."

"Never heard of it," Irvine mused.

"Nobody has," Seifer muttered. "It would just be so much easier if you could find Diablos."

"Then what, though?" Selphie wondered. "Diablos is a Guardian Force... could we actually destroy him?"

Seifer cocked his head. "I destroyed Odin, didn't I? It's possible."

"It's better than nothing. Maybe there's reference to some of that stuff in Garden archives. I could run it by Rinoa..." Selphie got up and started pacing around. "But, if he's using all this weird stuff, how is he making it?"

"Didn't we fight Diablos in a different dimension?" Zell asked after a while. "Remember when we first left for our mission in Timber to help the Forest Owls... Headmaster Cid gave us that lamp, and Diablos was inside it."

"That's right!" Selphie exclaimed, throwing her hands out as she spoke. It caused the open bottle in her hand to splash right all over Irvine's chest. "Ooooohhhh!" She stared at the stain. "Oh, Irvy... I'm sorry!"

He folded up his now wet magazine, and stared up at Selphie. "Now look what you've done..." He slowly stood up, beer running into his pants.

She put her hands to her temples, cocking her head back and forth. "Oops."

"Oops?" He echoed, smacking Selphie in the chest with his magazine. She squeaked, jumping back. But, a smile was growing on her face. She turned around to walk away, but Irvine smacked her in the butt. "You're dead," he said lowly.

"Gotta catch me first," Selphie hissed, tearing off into her apartment, Irvine close on her heels.

"They're _how_ old?" Zell asked as he heard Selphie laughing from in his living room.

"I think it's cute," Seifer murmured, turning so he could look at Zell. He leaned his temple against the couch.

"Yeah, cute..." Zell echoed, staring straight ahead. He could feel Seifer's gaze like a laser on the side of his face.

"You don't sound serious," Seifer said. "I was being _very _serious. I like how comfortable they are with each other. Not many couples have that level of friendship after they start a sexual relationship. I even like how they buy porno for each other." He gestured to the magazines. "They know that each has active sexual fantasies, but aren't threatened by it. They accept it, and embrace it." He smiled warmly. "It must be nice to know that you're that rock solid. That they were meant to be."

"No one's ever really said that about them. Most people just think they're having a 'good time', and it's not really that serious. I mean, they've been dating as long as Squall and Rinoa, but aren't married and still act silly around each other."

"If people see that as a lack of commitment, fuck 'em. Just because Selphie and Irvine aren't married yet and playing house doesn't mean their relationship is less serious that Squall and Rinoa's." Seifer's eyes trailed to the table again. "So, I guess you saw my picture..."

"It's just the tabloids. It doesn't matter."

Seifer shrugged. "I don't care. At first, I was really worried about what people would say, but it seems they don't care anymore. The world moved on, and has new problems. I mean, one of my employees quit... her brother died in the Trabia Garden bombing, but I knew there would still be bad feelings."

"How do you... feel?" Zell asked, turning also so he could finally look Seifer in the eyes. God, his eyes were beautiful. "About being Seifer again, I mean."

He shrugged. "I've always been Seifer, so the same really. I've been too busy at work to really care."

"It doesn't bode well that all these rookies are buying weapons...." Zell frowned.

"Quite a few were resistance faction members, so had weapons permits, but they're all out of date. But, yeah... using weapons out of fear is never a good thing." He sighed. "I just wish I could have been a bigger help with that chemical makeup. I'm still looking into it, but I wouldn't hold out much hope."

"You've already been a help," Zell murmured, putting his hand on Seifer's thigh. "We wouldn't even know it was a GF behind the whole thing without you."

"Speaking of revealing lies..." Seifer trailed off after a long yet comfortable silence, Zell's hand still on his thigh. "Have you told anyone else you're gay?"

Zell shook his head. "Nah. I'm going to Balamb tomorrow I think, though."

"Just like that?" Seifer asked. "Don't you have an assignment here?"

"Selphie and Irvine can handle it. I'm only going for one day. I want to talk to Ma...." Zell looked at Seifer for a while. "Come with me."

"Wha....?" He trailed off with a laugh. "Yeah, right." He looked around the room. "I don't think they're coming back," he noted, referring to Selphie and Irvine.

"I was serious, you know?" Zell cocked his head, catching Seifer's gaze once more. "About you coming to Balamb with me tomorrow."

"And, what?" Seifer asked sourly. "Just mosey up to Garden with you?"

"I'm not going to Garden."

Seifer frowned. "C'mon, Chicken-Wuss. You really wanna take me when you tell your mom you're gay? A man you haven't fucked yet, and only kissed once?"

Zell leaned in and kissed Seifer soundly on the mouth. "Now it's been more than once," he murmured, only pulling away just slightly. He was close enough that he could still feel Seifer's breath on his lips. "I just want you there."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Seifer whispered.

"....okay." Zell was disappointed, but he still smiled when Seifer's hand cupped the side of his face, and his heart skipped when they kissed. Zell had never felt a relationship like this before. It just felt so _different_ from the other times he'd kissed guys. It was still a powerfully masculine kiss, but the _reasons_ he was kissing Seifer were what was so drastically different. Zell's sexual lust for Seifer grew bigger and bigger every time he saw the other man, but it wasn't his sole drive for spending time with him. Maybe because they hadn't just fallen into bed, Zell was now able to explore other feelings. If they'd had sex right away, he would have been preoccupied with those thoughts, instead of how wonderful this simple kiss was, and how nice it felt to have Seifer's mouth trail down the side of his face, and start to kiss his neck, nibbling at the skin in a way that made Zell's brow furrow with desire. Zell's hands moved strongly up Seifer's back, their legs twining together.

Zell kissed Seifer's cheeks, then found his mouth once more. Seifer kissed him back, and their mouths opened against each other, the kiss warm, wet and heavenly. Seifer's tongue moved slowly against his own, thoroughly tasting Zell's mouth. Zell's hands were in his hair, and Zell's body was so hard with muscles against him, and so very warm. God, Seifer had missed this.

"Stay tonight," Zell whispered into Seifer's hair as they started to nuzzle against each other, breathing in the smell of each other's skin, revelling in the feeling of another man against them, for they were both starved for this type of meaningful contact.

"But, the roads aren't washed out..."

"Stay," Zell repeated.

"Do you want to have sex?" Seifer asked quietly. It wasn't that he was afraid to have sex with Zell. Far from it. But, if they did, it was a very big, very lasting step. Not in the sense of committing to a relationship, but that if they thought better of trying to be a couple, they couldn't forget it happened.

"I don't know," Zell admitted. "I just want you to stay."

Seifer wrapped his arms tightly around Zell's waist in response, feeling the same way Zell did. Both were mature, grown men. They weren't the children they'd been when they knew each other last, and yet.... there was that hesitation of a youthful relationship. In a few years, they would be both 30, and yet they were hesitant about coupling, about crossing that final barrier. But, maybe it was actually a far more mature way of going about things when really examined. They were old enough to know that a relationship didn't mean just sex, that there were far more pressing issues between two people that didn't just go away with an orgasm.

"Oh...." Seifer trailed off, pulling away. "Speaking of dates.... I got this invitation the other day for a hospital fundraiser party. Wanna go? Selphie and Irvine can come, too. It was for 'guests'."

"Sure," Zell murmured, feeling a little lost when he looked in Seifer's peridot eyes. Did Seifer feel just how lonely Zell really was, an entire lifetime of solitude cumulating into this one experience with his former archenemy? "Where's the party at?" He asked, not really caring.

"At this Timber businessman's house. Count Aka-Manah."

"...oh." That was an answer that just sucked all the pleasantness out of Seifer's invitation.

"Oh?" Seifer echoed. "What do you mean?"

Zell shrugged. "I've met him before."

"You have?" Seifer raised an eyebrow, which contrasted with his dark hair.

"Haven't you?" Zell asked dourly, the mood killed by the memory of the almost sleazy air around Daeva Aka-Manah.

"No," Seifer answered. "I got invited because of my reputation in commercial circles. I mean, we aren't of the same social scene." Seifer watched as Zell got up, getting another beer and slowly pacing the room. "When did _you _meet him?"

"At an art gallery... thing," Zell muttered. "I feel like I've met him before...."

"What's he like?" Seifer wondered. "Did Selphie and Irvine meet him, too?"

"Just Selphie. She thought he was handsome."

"And, you didn't?" Seifer asked playfully. But, he frowned when the other man wasn't biting. He also stood up when Zell made a put-off noise and went into his bedroom. "Oh, come on Chicken-Wuss..."

"Don't call me that!" Zell exclaimed moodily.

"All right, all right." Seifer got up too as Zell closed the door connecting his apartment to Selphie's, obviously still in a bad mood. "So, what do you distrust about him? Is he your typical black-hearted rich man?"

Zell shrugged, putting his hands on his hips. "I don't know... he seems.... dangerous, somehow."

Seifer narrowed his eyes. "Well, a SeeD's instincts are usually right. Maybe...." Seifer trailed off. "You think he could be up to something illegal?"

Zell frowned. "Are you trying to hint at that maybe he's got something to do with Blackball? Maybe he's a dealer or something?"

"Someone's gotta sell it on the street," Seifer pointed out. Zell sighed angrily, going into the bathroom, starting to brush his teeth. Seifer leaned against the counter. "I don't think Diablos would blend in with Bridgeport Square's crowd."

Zell spit toothpaste into the sink. "I wish you would come to Balamb with me...."

Seifer shook his head. "No." He cocked his head. "You want to go to the party with me or not?"

"I guess," Zell answered, popping his memory pill as he disjunctioned Ifrit. "It will give me a chance to watch Aka-Manah again."

"Well, I was hoping for it to be more of a 'date', but I'll take it." Seifer also took his memory pill, but Tiamat wasn't with him.

"Not much of a date," Zell muttered. "We won't even be alone." He started to unbutton his shirt, getting ready for bed. Seifer pursed his lips, wondering if this really was such a good idea. He could still just go back to Archimedes, or go home. Because, if he got attached to Zell, and Zell went back to Balamb.... Seifer knew it would happen, but how would he deal with it, if he really did fall for the other man? Zell noticed the distance icing up Seifer's pale eyes, and took a step forward, taking Seifer's hands in his own, looking up into his face. Seifer's face was so familiar to him from years of classes at Garden together, but it was like he was looking at that face in a new light, meeting him again for the first time. Zell put Seifer's hands on the part of his chest that was exposed from his half-opened shirt. Seifer's hands were warm against his skin, hands feeling strong with a lifetime of using a gunblade, and working with his hands on a regular basis.

Zell and Seifer stared at each other for a long time, not sure what to do, what to say. Zell had never been this tongue-tied around a man he found sexually desirable. But, maybe that was because he'd never shared a mental connection with them like he did with Seifer. Seifer's hands swept up the sides of Zell's neck, his mouth coming down on top of the other man's. Zell pushed Seifer's shirt up his torso, fingers feeling the warmth of his flesh and the hardness of his abdominal muscles. They broke apart, and looked at each other for a while, looking for any hesitation in the other's face, and seeing a little there. But, also seeing desire and want. Zell turned around and went into his bedroom, Seifer staying behind in the bathroom for a few moments, collecting his wits and trying to straighten out all the feelings that were racing through him. He went into the bedroom, and Zell was kneeling on the bed, a serious look on his face, his shirt half-open and his hair messed up, looking so desirable. Seifer also kneeled on the bed, and they faced each other, not touching, not talking.

Zell undid the rest of his shirt buttons, and took the garment off. He tossed it to the floor, still kneeling in front of the also kneeling Seifer. He then lay back on the mattress, looking up at Seifer when the other man leaned over him, studying him. He ran one hand through Zell's corn-coloured hair, and ran the other hand down Zell's hard chest and stomach. Zell let out a shaky breath, reaching his arm up and gently taking Seifer's eyeglasses off his face. Seifer took them from the other man, and put them on the nightstand as he pulled off his shirt. He propped his weight up on his elbows, his weight pressing down on Zell's body.

"Seifer....?" Zell asked quietly as their fingers stroked over each other's faces and shoulders. Zell's fingers lovingly traced the muscular lines of Seifer's bare back. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" Seifer cocked his head, kissing Zell's forehead.

"How much would those gloves cost me if I'd had to pay for them?"

Seifer laughed quietly, kissing down the side of Zell's face, tongue tracing the black lines of his tattoo. "Well, subtracting the 400 gil you already paid.... 199,600 gil."

Zell's eyes widened. "Huh....?"

"The gloves cost 200,000 gil, and that's me _under _charging."

"How come you're not a millionaire then?" Zell asked, starting to breathe a little heavier as Seifer's hands stroked over his lower abdomen.

"How many people do you think actually buy weapons with Crystal Fangs and Ruby Dragon scales, dummy?" Seifer asked, smirking as Zell glared at him. Zell smacked his shoulder, and Seifer didn't let his face show that it hurt, despite the fact that Zell had meant it as playful.

"Sorry...." Zell whispered sheepishly. Seifer figured he'd failed in hiding that the little punch had hurt.

"It's okay." Seifer kissed the side of Zell's throat, his mouth then following his fingers down Zell's chest, breathing in the smell of his skin and the feel of his muscles, hard under the satiny pull of warm, soft skin. Zell let out a small little noise when Seifer's mouth covered his left nipple. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been like this with another man, especially not when he'd last been like this, so meaningful and filled with more than just sexual desire. He ran his hands through Seifer's falsely dark hair, arching as Seifer's mouth moved farther down, deeply kissing his stomach. That was an odd way to describe someone pressing their lips to his stomach, but it wasn't just a peck. Seifer's mouth hovered over his skin, tasting it. Zell's insides felt like someone was gripping them in a fist, and he almost felt like Ifrit was flaring in him. But, it wasn't the Fire God. It was the blood rapidly moving in his veins, it was the feeling of desire taking over his nerves. Zell's eyes closed as Seifer's mouth moved up his chest again, finding his own mouth.

Zell jerked as Seifer's hand moved down to cup his genitals, which were hard and trapped in his pants. What had caused him to jerk wasn't Seifer's hands on him, but a loud noise from upstairs. Their noisy neighbours.

"This is why I live in a house," Seifer muttered, looking angrily up at the ceiling, fingers tracing the hardness of Zell's erection through his pants. Zell sat up, their mood shattered, for it had been very fragile. He could see hesitation in Seifer's eyes. He hated that hesitation, for he'd felt it, too. And, he also knew it was bred from outside circumstances encroaching, bleeding into rational thought. Why did it matter about the past, or about what others like Squall, or even his mother, would say? Didn't it only matter what Zell and Seifer felt? And, Zell knew he wanted to be with Seifer, not just sexually, but he wanted to _be _with him. The way Squall was _with_ Rinoa, and the way Selphie was _with_ Irvine. Zell took the next logical step, and removed the rest of his clothes, so he was naked. The hesitation vanished from Seifer's eyes, being replaced by dark, masculine lust.

Seifer's strong arms came around Zell's now naked body and kissed him fiercely, feeling all that wonderful and naked flesh pressed to him. Zell groaned, friction against his tender and exposed genitals. Zell's hands worked and fumbled and finally got Seifer's pants undone too, so they were naked together. One part of Seifer wanted to throw Zell down at fuck him, to be fucked by him, but the other part wanted so much more, and that was the part that gently wrapped his arms around Zell's body, holding him tightly. Zell held him back with strong arms, and Seifer sighed into Zell's neck. They held each other like that, nude flesh against nude flesh, breathing in the scent of each other.

"God, we're pathetic," Zell murmured as he and Seifer lay down on the bed, Seifer's beautiful body pressed flush to his back.

"Why's that?" Seifer asked, kissing the nape of Zell's neck, his tongue slowly moving down Zell's spine.

"Do you think we'll ever get around to having sex?" Zell asked. "Seems like something always stops us, and that something is us...."

Seifer's hands rested on the other man's hips as his mouth moved downwards. "Because we've been alone for so long that the sex isn't what we want," Seifer whispered against Zell's spine, his tongue still moving downwards. He kissed the small of Zell's back, where the other man had a small tattoo of a fire rune from an old religion of the Centra Empire. Zell arched backwards, rubbing his face with his hands, feeling feverish and giddy. Seifer's hands were strong on him, and his mouth was hot. Seifer's hands moved down Zell's thighs, and his mouth that felt hot on Zell's back felt positively on fire when it covered the head of Zell's erection.

Zell's chest heaved, and he gasped as if he'd been underwater and deprived of oxygen. As Seifer's mouth surrounded him, Zell found it hard to get air. Every bit that came out of his lungs came out in shaky breaths, matching his now shaking body. He opened his eyes, looking down his body to see Seifer looking up at him. It seemed such an intimate gesture, Seifer looking up at him, mouth around Zell's erection. They maintained eye contact as Seifer's hand joined his mouth around Zell's penis. Zell closed his eyes as his hips were lifted off the bed, Seifer's hands massaging his thighs and hips., fingers tracing all the lines and curves of his muscles. Zell flung an arm over his face, panting as his hips worked up against Seifer's mouth. He ran a hand through Seifer's hair, wrapping his legs around the other man's shoulders. He slowly pushed Seifer's head down, gently forcing him to deep-throat. Seifer emitted a quiet moan, his throat working around the erection. Zell moaned in turn, rocking his hips up against Seifer's face. He'd never been very passive in bed, even when receiving oral sex, or even when he was a bottom. Seifer showed appreciation by quietly making a noise of contentment that was muffled by Zell's dick in his mouth.

Seifer's fingers kneaded Zell's muscular ass as he moved his mouth in time with Zell's hips. He watched Zell's reactions, watched how he was panting and whispering Seifer's name, how he was enjoying himself. His sexual reaction was much like the rest of him; so full of fiery passion. Seifer's tongue probed Zell's urethra, and he smiled around Zell's cock as the other man gasped, moaning Seifer's name. Seifer liked hearing his name repeatedly fall from Zell's mouth. He'd been very lonely over the past 10 years, but that wasn't to say that he hadn't had a couple rolls in the hay. But, those two men had known him as Raef, so he hadn't heard his real name come from them in moments of blinding bliss. It... meant a lot to him to hear Zell call his name, to know that he was giving Zell pleasure. Their relationship at Garden had always been full of passion, but now it was a different sort, a sort that meant so much more.

Seifer laughed quietly as he pulled his mouth off, teasing Zell. The tattooed blonde cursed him, gripping a handful of Seifer's hair to force his mouth back down on his penis. Seifer kissed the tip, and nimbly licked down the shaft to Zell's testicles. "Seifer...." Zell panted, his hands moving up his own chest, touching his own nipples as he bit his lip at Seifer's ministrations. His mouth was as skilled as his hand with a gunblade. "Seifer," he whispered again as Seifer started sucking on one of his balls. He groaned, bucking his hips. "God.... Seifer...."

Seifer gently bit into the soft flesh of the other man's inner thigh as he parted Zell's legs. Zell groaned again, and Seifer liked how vocal he was. When Seifer's tongue gently and quickly probed Zell's rectum, the other man made a surprised little noise. That surprised little noise turned into a pleasured moan when Seifer did it again, slowly pressed the tip of his tongue into Zell's tight rectum. His hand massaged Zell's testicles and stroked his erection. Zell moaned Seifer's name over and over, loud enough to be vocal, but quiet enough for it to be intimate. Zell wondered if Seifer was getting any enjoyment out of this, since he was solely concentrating on Zell's pleasure. But, he supposed that Seifer would have just stopped if he didn't want to. Even now, he wasn't the sort of man to do something unless he wanted to. Zell was shivering, even though he was hot and sweating, from what Seifer was doing to him, how Seifer's tongue teasing his asshole and gently pushing into him made Zell feel.

Seifer pushed his tongue further into Zell as he continued to rim him, one hand massaging his testicles, the other stroking his cock. Zell was making noises that Seifer hadn't heard from another man in quite a while. In the past decade, it was true that he'd had sex with a couple men, but that had been years ago, and since then Seifer had been alone, with no one to wrench these kind of masculine, sexual noises from. Zell let out a sob as he came, calling Seifer's name. It had been so long, too long, since he'd last felt like this. He felt the hot stickiness of his release on his belly, which was rising and falling dramatically because he was panting so hard.

He slowly opened his eyes when he felt one of Seifer's fingers drag across his belly. Watching Seifer taste his semen sent a shudder of fulfilled desire through his body. Seifer licked up the rest of it as Zell felt like weeping, and felt retarded for it. And, when Seifer wrapped his arms tight around him, Zell did let out a low sob, Seifer's body folding around him, spooning him perfectly, as if they were meant for each other, as familiar as if it had always been so. Zell's face was turned so their cheeks were pressed together, but he didn't feel foolish for letting out that sob. He didn't feel foolish because he knew Seifer felt the same way, that he felt so full after being so empty for so long. Zell let the feeling of being in Seifer's arms, sated by orgasm, wash over him. He soaked it in, erasing ten years of lying and loneliness. No, a lifetime of it. All under the hands of his former enemy. Though, Zell started to feel a bit selfish. After all, Seifer had given him all this pleasure, and Zell had done nothing to return the favour. He wondered if Seifer minded....?

Zell opened his eyes, for he'd fallen asleep. He wasn't in Seifer's arms when he woke up, but he knew Seifer was in bed beside him. One of the lamps was on, and Seifer had his head and shoulders propped up by pillows, reading something, eyeglasses back on his face.

"What're you doing...?" Zell asked, yawning. His vision was blurry with sleep.

"Just some reading," Seifer whispered.

"Wha....?" Zell stopped as he yawned again. "What are you reading?"

Seifer looked over. "An alchemy textbook. You still going to Balamb in the morning?"

Zell yawned, and he thought he nodded, but was too tired to be sure.

"Then you should get some rest."

"But...."

"Go back to sleep, babe." Seifer leaned down and kissed Zell gently on the mouth. It only took Zell a few moments before he was out once more. Seifer went back to his reading, searching for references to the old ingredients that made up Blackball. Though he was contented to be in bed next to Zell, after cementing their relationship as a sexual one, reading these books made him think of Raijin, wondering even if he was still alive. It still hurt Seifer so much that he'd had to turn his back on Raijin. Had Fujin and Raijin felt this awful when they'd had to turn their backs on Seifer ten years ago, when he was so under Ultimecia's sway that he couldn't see reason right in front of his face? Maybe death would be a blessing for Raijin, and that thought killed Seifer, and made him all the more determined to halt Diablos in his tracks.

Laguna knocked again on the door to Edea's room at the Taygeta Hotel. After their kiss, Edea had distanced herself from both the Presidential Palace, and the President himself. She'd left the palace, not telling anyone where she'd gone, and wouldn't take calls, even though Laguna had much to tell her. "Edea, please."

No answer.

"I know you're in there, Edea. I can smell your perfume."

"No, you can't...." She murmured sadly from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, you're right..." Laguna sighed heavily, pressing his forehead to the door with his broad shoulders slumped. "But, I _need _to see you. Not just for me." Laguna had emails and Timber tabloids in his hands. There was so much known now from Timber, and Seifer had been seen there. "Your son is alive."

That was what did it. Edea rushed across the room, unlocking the door. She knew that Laguna wouldn't lie about such a thing. "What?" She asked, the force of opening the door blowing her hair back off her shoulders.

Laguna held up the tabloids that had been sent to him from an International Newsstand by the Airstation. Edea saw the bar at the top and snatched the rags from Laguna's hands. He came into the room, closing the door behind him as Edea poured over the article, slowly lowering herself to the edge of the queen-sized bed with its bright red comforter. It made her hair look all the blacker, her skin even more milky. God, she was beautiful, and Laguna's heart ached for her, feeling guilt and love for her at the same time. How could he be thinking this way about a married woman?! It was so spineless, and yet... he knew it was more than simple lust and desire for her curvaceous body. He cared deeply for Edea, loved her.

"He's alive..." Edea murmured, looking at the articles in the tabloids. The images of Seifer from back in those fateful days, under Ultimecia's control. And, the image from now. He'd been in Timber the whole time... and with the dark hair and eyeglasses, it brought out a little bit of a resemblance to Cid. It wasn't anything really major that anyone other than Edea would have noticed. Seifer looked so much like Edea's mother, and looked so beautiful... all grown into a man. The scar that Squall had given him was absent from his face, and he had a distant smile on his face. How Edea missed seeing him smile.... she hadn't really seen it since he'd been a little boy.

Edea looked up at Laguna, wonder on her sensual face. She smiled. "He's alive..."

"There's more," Laguna said quietly, happy that she was so happy. "They figured out who is in charge of Blackball."

"They did?" Edea felt proud of Zell, Selphie and Irvine, but her mind was more cemented on Seifer.

"Seifer helped," Laguna said quietly. "He gave his professional opinion as an alchemist."

Edea nodded. "Yes... this article says he was going by a different name there. Raef Emaissyl.... an anagram."

Laguna nodded. "The Sorceress you were feeling actually _wasn't_ a Sorceress...."

She wasn't paying attention. She was staring at the recent photograph of Seifer in the Timber Tattler.

"Edea?" Laguna put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Did you hear me?"

"Hmmm?"

"You couldn't feel the Sorceress because it wasn't a Sorceress," Laguna repeated.

"Who was it then?" Edea asked, pursing her lips. She wanted to go straight to Timber to see Seifer. She had so many things to tell him, so many things to apologize for.

"Diablos."

That got Edea's attention. "What?"

"Seifer told Squall and Quistis that when he touched a Blackball, he felt it was an icon item."

"So... all these poor souls that are addicted to the drug are actually addicted to Diablos's power," she mused sadly. "What would possess a GF to do such a thing?"

Laguna shrugged. "Nobody knows. Diablos also took his... it... whatever... he took his powers out of Squall's icon item, so they can't summon him to get answers."

"There is a lot about Guardian Forces that we don't know," Edea said haltingly. "But, what about Seifer.... and the other children in Timber? If Diablos is there, and if they're figuring it out.... will they be in danger?"

"We don't know," Laguna murmured, putting an arm around her shoulder. "But, they're all trained for this sort of thing. They can handle it."

"But, what about Seifer?" Edea asked, golden-brown eyes widened. "He...."

"Don't worry," Laguna whispered. "Alchemists are usually good fighters since they have to get items from Monsters, and it's Seifer... he grew up at Garden."

She sighed. "He's really alive.... but... maybe he won't want to see me. Especially after he finds out I've been lying to him his entire life."

Laguna held her, putting his chin on the top of her head. "I felt the same way when I had to tell Squall the truth. I worried he would hate me because I didn't try to come find him, that I wasn't there when his mother died... He never even got to meet her."

"Oh, Laguna... you had reasons.... You were locked up in Esthar's secrecy. Cid saw Seifer every day... I could have easily told him after Adel had been put in stasis..."

"Esthar's secrecy was a lame excuse," he muttered. "Sure, I think he'll be upset at first... but... look at me and Squall. It's slow going, but we're getting closer, and Seifer's a lot more emotional than Squall, right? That's good news..."

Edea cocked her head, giving Laguna a rueful smile. "You're just trying to cheer me up."

"Is it working?" He asked, winking.

She laughed quietly. "A little."

"Squall didn't seem all that trusting of Seifer," Laguna pointed out gravely.

"Because of when he was Ultimecia's Knight?" Edea asked, but it was a rhetorical question.

Laguna shook his head, staring into Edea's eyes. Her beautiful eyes.... "I think it has more to do with Rinoa than Ultimecia," he admitted, voice catching in his throat. "Selphie and the others trust him though...."

Edea's heart was filled with happiness at the idea of seeing Seifer again, and in her joy, she hugged Laguna fiercely, laughing as he held her back. Their lips then met in a kiss, Edea's heart fluttering in her chest, sharing this happy moment with Laguna. It felt so right, even though it was the wrong man. When was the last time Cid had fuelled this kind of passion in her? When was the last time he'd readily talked about Seifer with her? Cid was very silent on the subject of their child. That didn't mean that he didn't miss Seifer, because Edea knew he did, but she just felt so much more _connected _with Laguna on that subject. She felt more connected with him on a lot of things, especially the way this kiss was making her feel. She had word of her child, she had Laguna here.... "No," she whispered quietly, pushing her hands against Laguna's chest. "This isn't right." There was a tortured look in her eyes.

"Edea, this isn't me just wanting to get off," Laguna admitted, glad he was sitting down. That old, stupid leg cramp was starting to act up. "I care about you!" He stroked his fingers through her hair. "I love you!"

Edea made an angry noise, vaulting off the bed. "Laguna!" She exclaimed heatedly. "You shouldn't have said that to me. I'm a married woman!"

"I know that!" Laguna exclaimed, also rising. He grit his teeth because of the pain in his leg, but he didn't let it get the better of him. "I didn't tell you to hurt you, Edea! That's how I feel!"

"Well, what am I supposed to say to that?" She asked, crossing her arms a little angrily, and definitely defensively.

"I...." Laguna sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Edea. I don't want to hurt you... really."

"I.... I know that, Laguna."

"Well, I'm just glad you're happy about the news about Seifer...." Laguna shuffled his feet. "I... I should go." He turned and opened the door.

Edea watched Laguna's back, knowing that if Laguna left this room, they would probably not see each other for a while. Edea would go back to Centra, since they knew what was going on in Timber. It was Diablos. So, Edea's services wouldn't be needed in Esthar anymore. She could go back to her life at the orphanage. She could go back to her life with Cid. She could try to rebuild a relationship with Seifer, if he wanted to even see her again. And, Laguna would stay here in Esthar of course. Perhaps they wouldn't see each other in years, perhaps ever. They would avoid each other to avoid these feelings making them do something they shouldn't. Her heart constricted, and she called out "Laguna!" She didn't want him to walk out of her life. She didn't want him to leave like this. He looked over his shoulder, such conflict in his eyes. It was the same conflict that warred inside her. She ran across the room towards him, and their arms tangled around each other's bodies, mouths searching each other out.

Her hands eagerly tugged at his casual shirt, unfastening the buttons, ripping one off in her haste. His fingers pulled at her thick hair, their tongues filling each other's mouths so fully that neither could breathe. "I don't want you to leave," Edea whispered between kisses. "What's wrong with us?"

"Edea...." He panted, fingers finding the lacing at the back of her velvet gown. He pulled and tugged at it, both of them panting and making mewling noises of desperation. "We... we should stop." He'd gotten her bodice undone, the shoulders of the dress falling down, exposing the curve of her pale shoulders and her upper chest, her cleavage rising and falling with her breath.

"No," Edea said quietly, her hands sweeping down Laguna's chest. "Please don't."

"But, what about Cid?" He asked, their bodies crushing together, her breasts flattening against the planes of his chest.

"I... don't know..." She panted. "I just know I don't want you to leave."

He finished unlacing the back of her dress's bodice, the gown falling to the ground, so she was just in a slinky black silk slip. That too soon went to the floor, her nudity pressed to Laguna's body. It had been so long since he'd touched a woman like this. Sure, he'd had other things in his life to keep him busy, but Raine had been dead for 27 years, and Julia Heartilly had long ago married General Caraway and had Rinoa, and died in that tragic car accident when Rinoa was just five. But, this feeling of a woman next to him, and one he'd known for years and cared deeply for... there was nothing that could replace that, even if she was another man's wife. It felt so dirty and wrong, but his heart just wouldn't let him stop, his body agreeing.

He was soon as naked as she was, and they wound up on the floor, too wrapped up in pure desire now to care about reaching the bed. They still knew this was wrong, but their bodies were now in control. Rational thought didn't apply anymore. Edea felt like she'd been in the dark for so long. She loved Cid dearly, but where had the passion gone? When had that feeling of love mixed with desire disappeared? When had she gotten so complacent? In Laguna's arms, and under Laguna's hands, she was far from complacent. Her nails raked up his back as he bit into the mound of her left breast. He kissed and licked across her shapely bosom, hand going down her soft and flat belly. Her hands pulled at his hair, forcing his face up for a brutal and wanton kiss. As Laguna's hand went lower, feeling the coarseness of pubic hair, he could feel the electricity of her Sorcery under her hot skin. Their mouths were fused as they rolled around on the floor, limbs tangled impossibly together, both making animalistic noises of desire. Laguna buried his face in her breasts as he entered her, both of them moaning with all their pent-up lust for each other, so heady and sinful. Afterwards, they would feel dirty, low and guilty, but now all they felt was the heat and friction between their bodies. She felt Laguna's strong hands and mouth on her skin, and he felt her body all around him, her soft hair and purposeful mouth. Then, he wasn't thinking about how he was wronging a close friend in Cid. He was thinking of how he wanted her like this over and over. He wanted her like a drug, he wanted her to be _his _so completely. And, at that moment, she was.

Selphie yawned, stretching her arms over her head. Irvine was making her breakfast (_sometimes he's just the sweetest guy in the whole world_), and she was going to Zell's apartment to ask if Seifer and Zell wanted some breakfast too. For, she _knew_ that Seifer had spent the night. How could he not have? It was impossible to ignore what was going on between Seifer and Zell, how they were bonding so fiercely. She would be greatly surprised indeed to know that Seifer had gone home. When she went into Zell's bedroom, still dressed in her lacy lavender camisole and matching short-shorts, she was indeed surprised, but not because Seifer wasn't there. He was, but it was Zell that wasn't. And, the bathroom door was open, lights out.

Seifer was fast asleep, curled up with a serene look of contentment on his face. There were a stack of books piled haphazardly beside the bed, some of them still open. Selphie peered at them as she crawled onto the bed. Alchemy books. She gently poked Seifer's bare shoulder, leaning over him. When he opened his eyes, she yelled "Hello!!", and he gasped, heart wanting to jump right out of his chest.

"Fuck!" He gasped angrily. "Are you insane?!"

"Expecting someone else?" She asked playfully, laying down on the bed beside Seifer. "Where's Zell?"

"He....." Seifer trailed off, yawning. "He went to Balamb for the day."

Selphie raised her eyebrows, rolling over so she could look at Seifer. "Huh? Why?"

"Wanted to see his mother," Seifer muttered, trying to pull some more blankets around him, but Selphie was laying on them. "Do you _mind_?"

"Oh, to tell her he's gay... right?" She then smiled brightly. "Or, to tell her you're his boyfriend?"

"We're not boyfriends," Seifer lied. Selphie also knew he was lying. "Well... not officially. Now, get out."

"Are you naked under there?" She asked, starting to lift up the blanket and look underneath. Seifer smacked her hands away. She raised her eyebrows. "Nice."

"Does Irvine know you're in here?" Seifer asked testily, wanting to just go back to sleep. He closed his eyes deliberately, hoping Selphie would get the hint and leave him alone. He wanted to fall back asleep and have nice dreams. Dreams of him and Zell together....

"Does it matter?" Selphie asked. "It's not like you're going to fuck me.... Are you?" She asked.

He snorted.

"Soooooo....?" She curled up next to Seifer, head resting on his shoulder. "Did you and Zell have sex?"

"None of your business!" He exclaimed, opening one eye to look down at her. "I swear, you are the nosiest fucking person in the world."

"It's...."

"Part of the job," Seifer finished sourly. "Right." After a few moments, he asked "what are you doing in here, anyway?"

"Irvine's making breakfast. Want some bacon?"

"No, I mean in bed with me."

Selphie shrugged. "It's just platonic. Am I making you uncomfortable? I could make you a lot _more_ uncomfortable," she added with a laugh.

"Not really uncomfortable," he answered. "Just... confused."

"Did you miss us?" Selphie asked out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" He asked with a yawn.

"I mean all this time... .did you ever think about Garden? About Zell and me and Irvine and Quisty? Did you ever think about Matron, and even Squall and Rinoa... and wish you were back with us?"

"You wouldn't have wanted me around," he muttered. "Especially not Squall. After what I did to Rinoa...."

"It wasn't your fault!" Selphie exclaimed quietly. "You're sorry for it. That's all that Squall can ask of you. Rinoa's forgiven you...."

"Are you sure about that?"

Selphie didn't answer.

"You know..." Seifer murmured after a while. "I did think about Garden a lot. I think I missed everything in a way.... but, there are so many bad memories attached to that place. I don't know if I could ever go back. But...."

"But?"

"I.... I'm glad that you guys accidentally ran into me again."

"At first, I was mad to see you," Selphie said, sitting up. "But, now....." She smiled. "You're one of the gang again."

"Sort of," he mumbled. "I really appreciate you guys trying to make me feel welcome, but I _seriously _frigging doubt I'd get the same treatment at Garden."

"Even if we hadn't had the orphanage as a past, you make Zell happy. That's reason enough."

"You talk as if we're married," Seifer said, flinging his arm across his eyes. "It's not like that."

"What's it _like_, then?" Selphie asked. "You like him, right?"

Seifer didn't answer.

"You think he's cute, right?"

"... maybe."

"And, he thinks you're cute, right?" Selphie crawled up next to Seifer again. "You're totally a couple, and I don't care what you say."

"A couple?" He echoed.

"I think you were a couple before you ever even kissed. Just like Squall and Rinoa."

Seifer lowered his arm and glared at the sprightly brunette.

"Hmmmm, I guess you didn't like me saying that, huh?" One of her hands slid under the blanket. "Here, let me make it up to you."

He slapped at her hand. "Get lost!" He smacked her hand again when she pinched one of his nipples. "You're a pervert." He flung a pillow at her.

She laughed, catching the pillow. "What do you expect? Look who my boyfriend is...." She trailed off as she heard a door open, and then footsteps. "Speak of the devil."

"I was wondering what was taking so long..." Irvine murmured, still holding a spatula in one hand. He was only wearing a pair of forest green briefs and his cowboy hat. "Where's Zell?"

"Balamb," Selphie said cheerfully as Seifer covered his face with the pillow he'd thrown at Selphie, groaning.

"Take your girlfriend," Seifer muttered, voice muffled by the pillow. "And, go put some clothes on!"

"Hey," Selphie exclaimed, standing up on the bed then jumping off, casing the whole thing to shake. "At least we're _wearing_ clothes."

"What?" Irvine exclaimed sharply. "What were you doing in here?" He asked, a little accusatory. "Making the moves on my woman, Seifer?"

Seifer gave them the finger, face still buried under the pillow. "Oh, wait..." He called, sitting up as they started to leave, talking amongst themselves. "I got an invitation the other day in the mail for a charity party benefiting the Forest Owl Hospital. Wanna go? It's tomorrow night."

"What about Zell?" Selphie asked.

"I already asked. He said fine, though he wasn't very enthusiastic."

"A party, eh?" Irvine asked. He tipped his hat. "We're totally there. So, like... why wasn't Zell thrilled?"

"Because it's being thrown by Daeva Aka-Manah, and Zell I guess doesn't like him." Seifer almost instinctively got out of bed, but realized he was indeed naked under the sheets.

"Oooh, the Count?" Selphie asked. "He's dreamy."

"Zell thinks he might be into some shady stuff."

Selphie shrugged. "Like what....? He seemed nice to me."

"Maybe you were just blinded by his girlish good looks?" Irvine offered. He'd seen pictures of the Count, and he had a face that made Squall look rugged.

She bumped Irvine's hip with her butt. "Compared to your ugly mug? You bet."

"Just 'cause Seifer's around, don't think I won't slap you," Irvine hissed playfully.

Seifer watched them with a distant smile on his face. He'd been very serious the night before when he'd told Zell that he liked the relationship between Selphie and Irvine. He did. They were so easy and comfortable with each other. Really transcending that border between friends and lovers. They were so fun, and even though they sniped at each other, it was all in jest, and there was deep-rooted love and affection there. Would he and Zell ever be like that? It was a nice thought....

Irvine groaned, leaning against the doorframe as Selphie and he playfully bickered. "Irvine...?" She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"You look kind of pale there," Seifer noted.

He put a hand to his chest. "I.... I think it's Quetzacoatl."

Selphie's expression became stricken and clouded with worry. "Here...." She led Irvine away from the bedroom towards Zell's living room. "Sit down, okay...."

Seifer used the chance to quickly pull on a pair of jeans, not worrying about underwear for the moment. He also threw on his discarded shirt, and went out to the living room. Selphie must have raced quickly back into their apartment, because Irvine was wearing flannel pants and she was now pulling a sweater on him, still wearing her own pyjamas. He was shivering. "What's going on?" Seifer asked, looking at Irvine's face.

"I... I dunno," Irvine said through chattering teeth. "Just, all the s-sudden...."

"It's like when Ifrit went bonkers in Zell...."

"Disjunction Quetzacoatl," Seifer said quietly. "Is your GF acting fucked?"

"I don't have Cactuar on...."

Irvine nodded and did so when he put his hands around the Dynamo Stone icon item, gasping for air, but he almost immediately stopped shivering.

"Why would Quetzacoatl just start acting like that?" Selphie wondered, wrapping a blanket lovingly around Irvine's shoulders. "You think it's 'cause of Diablos?"

"It's very likely," Seifer muttered. "We've all had this happen to us." He looked over when someone knocked on Zell's door.

"You think Zell's back from Balamb already?" Selphie asked, for who else would it be? She got up and went to the door. Seifer had started to go, but Selphie put a hand on his shoulder. After all.... they weren't sure who it could be. If Seifer answered Zell's door, and it was Squall or something... that would be an ugly scene. Seifer used the chance to quickly go into the bathroom and brush his teeth. He always carried a bag with him with clothes and stuff like that, since during this time of year, he never knew if he was going to get to his house, and because he often stayed so late at the store he was just too tired to make the drive, and would crash with Fujin, or at one of the hotels. Or, now... with Zell. He brushed his teeth as he heard Selphie answer the door, wondering if she bothered to cover up her lacy little pyjamas. Probably not. He heard a voice, and his stomach curled. It was a woman's voice, deep and commanding, and so very familiar to him, and yet... not at the same time.

"Can I help you?" Selphie asked, opening the door to see someone she'd never seen before. It was a woman wear a royal purple gown in a crepe material. It looked antique, definitely not a common style. It had a square neck, and she wore a large necklace. No, necklace wasn't the right word. It was more like a draping collar of many strands of beads and jewels in gold, the gems exploding with colour, most of them iolite to match the purple gown. She had a robe over it to cover her shoulders, thick and expensive looking velvet lined with black fur. Her face was a blank mask, her hair braided up along with a delicate gold coronet. She looked like a princess. Selphie was a bit flabbergasted.

"I have come to visit my Master," she said in a very commanding voice. She had a powerful air around her, and Selphie wondered if she was a Sorceress. Suddenly, she was _very _wary.

"Master....?" She echoed. "I think you have the wrong place...."

Seifer had come out of the bathroom, that voice curling in him, calling to him. When he stepped into the hall, the woman with her chocolate coloured hair and black eyes pushed past Selphie, going directly towards the bespectacled man. She clasped Seifer's hands, much to his surprise, and nodded at him. "I've come to speak with you on a matter of import."

"Uh... who's that....?" Irvine asked, still wrapped in the blanket on the couch.

Seifer peered into this woman's face. She was very tall, about Irvine's height, and exuded such power that was familiar to Seifer. He'd heard her voice in his head many times, but coming from a human mouth, it lacked the ethereal and reverbatory quality he was used to. "Tiamat....?"

She nodded, giving Seifer a thin yet determined smile. She turned to face Irvine and Selphie. "It was I that caused Quetzacoatl to act up. If he is disjunctioned, I may speak to you without eavesdropping."

"But...." Seifer looked at this woman, unable to believe that it was his dragon summon.

"You are surprised to see me in human form," she said, sitting regally in an armchair, looking at them all with fathomless black eyes. "You shouldn't be."

"Are you sure.....?" Selphie whispered to Seifer. "I mean, are you sure this is Tiamat?"

Tiamat frowned, and the air started to fill with a dark energy, her hands on the arms of the chair turning into claws with sapphire blue scales. "This is not a time for you to be questioning me," she said, voice echoing in more than just the room. It echoed in their heads, as well. "For I have tidings you may wish to hear."

"About...?" Seifer asked.

"Diablos."

He sat down on the couch beside Irvine, Selphie on Seifer's other side, hands folded in her lacy lavender lap. "What do you mean?" Seifer asked.

"You should get used to 'Summons' in human form, especially because you'll be seeing a lot of them."

"You can be in human form...?" Selphie asked, cocking her head. "I didn't know that."

"There is much about our world you do not know," Tiamat answered. "It is a world of fathomless age."

"Were you human once?" Seifer asked. "Did... was this your human form?"

"Long ago, yes. I was known as Thuban Alwaid. All Summons have a human name, and all have a human form. We also have varying forms of our spell from ages past, and times long dead."

"So... Odine didn't really invent GF, did he?" Selphie asked.

Thuban Alwaid barked out a humourless laugh. "Odine is a pompous fool. We have existed longer than this world as you know it has."

"How old are you....?" Seifer asked, fascinated and a little worried. After all, Tiamat must have come here for a reason.

"After so long, years cease to matter. I suppose if you want to put a timeframe on it, I would be just about 3 million years old."

The three humans were rendered silent. Finally, Selphie asked "are _all _GF as old as that?"

"What about Hyne?" Irvine asked. "The legend says that Hyne created humans...."

"That is somewhat true," Tiamat answered. "Hyne existed as a Sorcerer long ago, after a great disaster destroyed much of the human population. He gathered survivors, bred with women, and life was born again. Stories like Hyne have happened before, and will happen again. The cycle of human life is such." She cocked her head, the jewels around her neck tinkling together musically. "Most Avatars are about my age. The old court, with the exception of Leviathan, is all about the same age."

"Avatars?" Seifer echoed.

"That was the name of Guardian Forces in my time. Each time has a different name for us. Back when the continents you know didn't exist, back when countries were under different names, and worlds completely varied. When your world turns to dust and the land masses align in new continents, and new cultures arise, we will have a new name."

"How old is Leviathan?" Selphie asked. Could this really be happening?

"He is about 8 million years old. The Ancient Court wasn't created until Bahamut took the throne and organized us. Leviathan joined then."

"This is all wonderfully fascinating, but why are you here?" Seifer asked.

"To give you insight to Berith's... I mean Diablos's plans."

"Berith? Is that Diablos's human name?" Irvine asked.

"He went by many names as a human. He grew up in poverty, but when his skills as a clairvoyant and a necromancer were of help to the king at the time, he became Berith. His true name is one that is familiar to you."

"Really?" Seifer cocked his head.

"Now, you must understand something before I continue..." Tiamat trailed off, and for the first time, looked uncertain. "To reveal such information to humans... it is unthinkable in our world. I may not be able to help you against them."

"Them?" Selphie looked at Seifer and Irvine.

"The other Guardian Forces. Though we all have our allies and friends, as well as enemies in the court, we would never take the side of a human against one of our own."

"Then, why are you?" asked Seifer, suspicious.

"Revenge," the dragoness answered.

"Against Diablos?"

She nodded. "Revenge against Diablos and my father. If you try to kill Diablos, Father _will _stand in your way." Tiamat pursed full lips. "Master, I would watch myself if I were you. You have enemies in the Summon Court."

"I do?"

"For destroying Odin. Shiva will never forgive it."

"Why would Shiva care?" Irvine asked, still shivering a little.

"They were lovers. When Odin was a human man, before he'd ascended to our Court, Shiva had fallen in love with his strength and regal beauty."

"Summons can be lovers....?" Selphie asked. "Sounds kind of romantic."

"It can be," she said stiffly. "Shiva's loyalty to Odin was unwavering, such is Diablos's loyalty and love for Father."

"Who is your father? Is he a Summon too?" Seifer asked.

"Why...." She trailed off, laughing a little. "Bahamut is my father, of course. The King of Summons was my human father."

"Bahamut!" Selphie exclaimed. "Does that make you Princess of Summons?"

Tiamat laughed at Selphie's human enthusiasm. "Not quite. I am a member of the Ancient Court merely. Along with Bahamut, Diablos, Shiva, Ifrit, Leviathan and Alexander. And, my status in that Ancient Court is laughably low. I've been thrown out."

"Is that why you're here?" Seifer asked. Selphie and Irvine grew very silent, letting Seifer talk to his Summon.

"And, because of my horrible relationship with Father. He would like nothing better than to see me thrown out of Court. And, he is King, so his word goes."

"Why does he hate you?"

"... Later." She waved her hands. "I am here about this issue on your plate. Diablos and his little drug. You know that it is not really a drug, not the same as opiates or your chemical laboratory drugs. The people are addicted to Diablos's powers. He does it merely for his pleasure, for he is a demon, through and through."

"Yeah, he's the evil GF."

"Evil?" Tiamat echoed. "Evil is a word that... we do not understand. It is such a meaningless word to us. Even the so-called purest Summon in Alexander can be considered 'evil' by your definition. Anyway, Diablos will throw many tricks at you, for that is what he loves best, aside from his dead arts and Father."

"You said that his name would be familiar to us....?"

"Yes," Tiamat said, folding her hands in her lap. "You know Diablos as Daeva Aka-Manah."

Selphie gasped, and Seifer was taken aback. "So..." He said to himself. "Zell was right not to trust him...."

"Daeva is the name that Diablos was born with, born into complete poverty. His mother died of consumption, and he was orphaned. But, he had strange powers, ones that his King, eons ago, found fascinating. Diablos is not only a powerful Summon, but you must also beware of his black art magic, the ability to summon armies of the dead to fight for him, and his cunning trickery."

"We're supposed to go to his party tomorrow night!" Selphie exclaimed.

"And, if I hadn't intervened to warn you, you wouldn't have left alive. Diablos knows very well who you are, for you are connected with one of his current masters, in Squall Leonhart. I'm sure he finds the whole thing _very _amusing."

"And, the other Summons would just let him destroy all these people's lives?" Seifer asked angrily. So, was Raijin just a little game to Diablos?!

"They would let him have his fun, but while Summons and humans have an ill-at-ease relationship, it is a parasitic one. We feed off each other, thus need each other."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?"

Tiamat cocked her head. "At least this way, you aren't going in blind. You can prepare yourselves. Diablos is a dangerous summon, but not an omnipotent one. However, because he is a favourite of Father's, you may have to fight the both of them. But, you can bring backup from your little school, and you can be prepared."

"Why are you doing this?" Selphie finally asked, having listened in silence for a while. "You just said that Bahamut is your father, and that Summons aren't supposed to side with humans over other Summons."

"Because I'm barely even a Summon anymore, all because of a father's hatred that has lasted millions of years."

"Bahamut hates you?" Selphie cocked her head. "But, he's your father, you said. How can a father hate his daughter?"

"Because I was not born a man," Tiamat answered stiffly. "I come from a time where women were lower than the level of dogs. We were only meant to procreate children, and then our uses ran out. I was the first born, and Father always hated that I wasn't the son he'd been expecting. He had Mother executed for the crime of me being a girl. Subsequent women also met the guillotine for bearing daughters rather than sons. Though, because I was the first born, I could not be dispatched like my sisters."

Selphie's face paled, and she looked at Irvine, who was in shock over the whole thing, over having a GF in the room with them, talking to them as a human.

"Wives were kept at home, not to be seen. Men would keep the company of other men, because talking to, and socializing with women was deplorable to them. It still is to him. Even though we've not been human for millions of years, it's hard to forget. It enraged him further that upon my death, I also became a Summon, the Dark Flare to his Mega Flare. I am nothing to him, and my powers begin to fail."

"In Ultimecia's time..." Selphie noticed that Seifer flinched when she said that name. "You weren't a GF then."

"I wouldn't know about that," Tiamat answered. "For, that time hasn't happened. I would have lost any intelligent though upon becoming a monster for her. I know of it because of Time Compression, but none of the particulars." She stood. "I have completed the task I set out to do. Diablos and Bahamut may know I came to see you. Ancient Summons are very powerful, in more things than spells for human use."

"Wait....!" Seifer called. "How... how did you become a Summon?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Tiamat answered. "There is just a certain _something_ in people who ascend after death. It can't be predicted. I supposed you could think of it as a 'destiny' of sorts. Myself, I died at the hands of a thief when our city was sacked by a warring army. Father died in the same war, so we became Summons at around the same time. And, maybe only a few years later, that's when he started finding the others and creating the Court. Diablos was the next, and since then, has been Bahamut's right hand. He is also what in my time, we would have referred to as a concubine."

"We can't fight both of them...." Seifer trailed off.

"Perhaps not, but I hope that I've at least helped you, opened your eyes to the situation a little bit. I owe it to you, a fine Master such as yourself." She went to the door, opening it.

"But, wait... I have so many more questions!" Seifer exclaimed.

"Perhaps another time." She stepped out into the hallway, her shadow on the wall across shaped like a great dragon. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.

"Well, shit..." Irvine muttered. "I think we're fucked."

"What now....?" Selphie asked.

"I think you should contact Garden. Hopefully Zell gets back soon, and we can figure out a plan."

"I can't believe the Count is really Diablos," Selphie sighed. "And, he seemed so nice...."

"Yeah, well that 'nice' guy is planning to fucking kill us," said Irvine.

Seifer silently pursed his lips, mulling over what Tiamat had told them. It was true that he had killed Odin, but that didn't mean that it would be a walk in the park to fight Diablos _and _Bahamut, not to mention any other GF that wanted to jump in the fray, like Shiva from what the dragoness had said. Seifer knew that the situation was dangerous, but he didn't care. He owed it to Raijin to get to the bottom of this mess, even if the current incarnation of his (former) friend didn't want the help. And, there was also the fact that Zell, and even Selphie and Irvine, were in danger. Diablos knew them. Perhaps he didn't know about Seifer yet, but he couldn't count on that. Seifer had no clue that GF were so old, and to be millions of years old, they all must have been _very _powerful. Seifer thought of how he could have been walking Zell right to his death, and though nothing had come of it yet, the thought shamed him.

Seifer knew that Zell was SeeD, and could more than handle himself, but there was no way that he would let Zell, and Selphie and Irvine who were being so nice to him and making him feel more like his old self than he had in years, walk into this alone. Not when he.... _cared _so much about them. Not when he cared so deeply for Zell, and was even falling in love with him.


	6. Chapter 6

****

Six

The smell of the sea welcomed Zell as the train came out from the underground tunnel that connected Timber to Balamb. Zell looked out the window as they approached the train station. So, they were still working on the connector to the Horizon Bridge. Construction on that had been going on for a while. It seemed silly to have to take a train to Timber and then catch another train to Esthar, so they were building a train bridge that would connect to Horizon to make commuting easier, since so many people were travelling to Esthar because of its now free borders and lack of secrecy. While Timber was growing exponentially, so was Esthar. It was quite the place to go for tourists, as well as people wanting to utilize the city's futuristic technology.

The train stopped and Zell got off, the air warm and balmy, so very different from the cooling and wet air back in Timber. He thought of Seifer back in Timber, and how it almost felt more like home than Balamb, which had been his home for as long as he could remember. He thought of the way Seifer had looked, asleep beside him, sunlight streaming through the blinds. He'd been fast asleep, barely stirring when Zell got up, even when Zell had stroked his face and hair for a while. He'd also slept when Zell had kissed him goodbye, almost not wanting to leave. But, that same memories of Seifer's sleeping face and his voice were what made Zell get off the train, looking down the street from the top of the train station stairs. Everything in Balamb looked the same, and always would. Even if the town grew, which it had, it would always look the same. He walked down the street, and some familiar faces waved at him, shouting "Hey, Zell!"

"Hey!" He called back, waving. He smiled cheerfully at people he'd known almost his entire life, but his heart was fluttering in his chest. He knew he should have told Ma he was gay a long time ago, but he hadn't wanted to disappoint her, especially when she was so proud of him for being SeeD, and then becoming and Instructor. He got to his street, and it hadn't changed in all the years he'd lived here. Zell righted his shoulders and went through the door. He could smell something cooking. Even if Ma was alone here now, she was always cooking for neighbours and friends.

"Ma?" He called.

"Zell...?" He heard his mother's voice ask with surprise. She came out of the living room, a smear of dirt on her right cheek, a duster in her hands. "What are you doing here?"

"You're not happy to see me?" He asked, hugging her tightly. He wiped the dirt off her cheek, then kissed her forehead.

"Of course I am!" She exclaimed, swatting his shoulder playfully. "I... weren't you in Timber, though?"

"I came back for the day. I have to go back, though."

"Oh, did Garden call you back?" She asked, going into the kitchen to check on the potatoes cooking on the stove.

"No, I came to see you."

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Wha....? Is something wrong?"

"No... I'm fine," Zell said genuinely. He really was fine. Yeah, he was nervous about telling his mother (and, how would he breach the subject with Squall....?), but he really was happy. All he had to think about the way that Seifer had made him feel last night, and the way he made him feel just talking to him. It wasn't all sexual, and that's what made it so wonderful, so fulfilling, so fucking beautiful and right. And, that was more than enough to make Zell's nervousness inconsequential.

"You came all this way just to see me?" Ma Dincht smiled. "That's very sweet, Zell... but not really necessary." She pinched his tattooed cheek.

"Well... Ma, we need to talk. Can we go to the living room?"

"Sure?" She followed her son, wondering what had brought him across an ocean to talk about. She sat on the couch, and watched as Zell nervously paced around. Even though he was a grown man, stillness seemed to elude him. "Zell, please sit down. I thought you said you were fine."

"I am... I am." Zell sat down, but he started fidgeting almost immediately. "Ma... there's something I need to tell you." He looked at his hands rather than at her face. "I should have told you a long time ago."

Ma Dincht cocked her head, perplexed. Especially confused because Zell looked so serious. She saw that the muscles of his forearms were very tense, as was the rigid way his shoulders were set. "You love me, right?" Zell asked quietly.

His mother was surprised. "O-of course, Zell. Why would you ask that?"

"Are you proud of me?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed quietly. "You know that I can't stop talking about you to the neighbours."

"Will you, ummmm..." He trailed off, shaking his head. No, he couldn't hedge like this. He just had to dive right in and do it, instead of finding a way to get out of it. "Ma...." He looked up into her caring and loving eyes. Eyes that loved him unconditionally and always had. "I, uh.... I'm gay, Ma."

She blinked at him. "Yes, I know."

Zell felt like Pandemona had vacuumed all the air out of his lungs. "Wh-what?"

She smiled, getting up to sit beside her son on the loveseat. She covered one of his hands with her own. He was wearing gloves that were red scales, and she felt their combination of smoothness and roughness. "I know," she repeated.

"Since when?" Zell asked, feeling like a child again.

"Always," she whispered.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" He demanded.

"Because you weren't ready to tell me."

Zell laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "I must have done a really shitty job hiding it. It seems that everyone knows."

"I'm your mother.... I know these things." She squeezed his hands. "Why, who else knows?"

"Selphie knew..."

"She is SeeD Intelligence," Ma Dincht pointed out. "You can't hide anything from that girl." She peered at Zell. "I always noticed that you didn't pay much attention to girls. Even that girl from the school that liked you.... Jess, right? She looked at you with stars in her eyes, and you only saw a friend. I also noticed that your father's Spencer Taylor catalogues would always go missing, and wind up in your room." Spencer Taylor was an upscale men's store in Balamb, and had a penchant for hiring very handsome men for their models. "But, you always seemed afraid to tell me, so I never brought it up. It was something _you_ had to tell me when _you _were ready." She wrapped her arms around Zell's shoulders, stroking his back in a motherly fashion.

"Did Dad know?" Zell asked. His father had died about 8 years ago.

She nodded. "I brought it up to him when he wondered why you didn't have a girlfriend." Ma Dincht pursed her lips. "What made you want to tell me, now of all times? Did you... meet someone?"

Zell nodded stiffly. "He also knew I was gay... without me having to tell him."

"It must be serious for you to come home in the middle of a SeeD assignment. Are you sleeping with him?"

"Ma!!" Zell exclaimed, face flushing.

She laughed. "Zell... how naive do you think I am, really? You're 27... I know very well that you're not a virgin. I just hope you're being careful."

Zell covered his face with his hands, mortified beyond belief.

"I love you, Zell..." His mother said sincerely, hugging him tightly. "I love you in anything you do, or what you are."

"I'm tired, Ma. Tired of lying, of pretending to have a life that I don't have. I want to be able to be _Zell_, you know....?"

"I hope you never thought I would be judgemental of you, Zell. I apologize if that's the case."

He couldn't help but laugh. "Shit, Ma...oops, sorry." He waved his hand, still feeling embarrassed about swearing in front of his mother, even though he was a grown man. "You're apologizing to _me_? Ma.... you don't need to."

She smiled, pinching his cheek again. "So, tell me about this man. Did you just meet him?"

"You're... okay?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Zell. I just want you to be happy, and I know that for a long time, while you had things to fill the void, you weren't what I would call _happy_."

Zell smiled distantly, thinking of how quickly things had changed. Timber had a serious issue on its hands, and now it was getting even uglier, but Zell still felt... happy.

"Your smile says it all," Ma Dincht said quietly. "Is he from Timber? Did you meet when you went there with Selphie?"

"... Sort of," Zell muttered. This was going to be hard, too. It was one thing to tell his mother that he liked cock, but it was another to tell her that he was liking the cock of Seifer Almasy. Ma very well knew who Seifer was, not only from his days as Ultimecia's 'Knight', but also from the Garden days when Seifer had been Zell's bully, rather than his 'boyfriend'. But, were they actually boyfriends? Zell wasn't sure exactly what word to use to describe their relationship. But, it was a _relationship_, no question. "Yeah, I met him in Timber, but he's not from there..."

"I..." Zell's mother cocked her head, sensing that there was more to it than that. "What do you mean?"

"I... sort of... knew him before I saw him in Timber again. Maybe that's why we... ummm... hit it off..."

"Where did you know him from?"

"Garden," Zell answered stiffly. The room was starting to feel hot and stifling. "He went to school there. He's an alchemist now."

"An alchemist?" Ma Dincht asked, impressed. An alchemist was a very respectable job. Alchemists didn't make as much as lawyers and doctors, but it was a job where the person had to be both exceedingly intelligent, and a good fighter to deal with monsters. Though, it was also a very dangerous job. "What's his name?"

"Um.... Seifer... Almasy."

She thought for a moment, but then the name started to jog her memory. The Sorceress's Knight.... Ultimecia's puppet. But, what made her frown at her son was that she remembered Seifer Almasy as the boy who'd made Zell cry as a child. A bully.

"I know that look," Zell murmured. "You remember him, don't you? I know that he was the Sorceress's Knight, but...."

"That's not what I'm thinking about. Isn't he the boy that you used to hate....?"

Zell pursed his lips. "That was a long time ago."

"Zell..."

"Ma, I like him." Zell felt himself blushing again, but it wasn't because he was embarrassed. "He's different than he was then, but yet..... the same. He's so passionate, but he's learned to be humble. He's suffered, and learned from it. And, the way he makes me feel..." He looked over at his mother. "And, not like _that._ The conversations we have...." He trailed off with a shrug. "I guess it's hard to explain."

She couldn't help but smile. "No, not hard at all. Just from the look on your face, and the tone of your voice... it says everything that needs to be said." She patted Zell's shoulder. "That you said nothing about liking him physically. That it was the mental connection that made you smile like that."

Zell furrowed his brow. "I almost feel like things are moving too fast, but then when I'm not with him.... he's all I can think about."

"I would like to meet him sometime," Ma Dincht said after a pause.

"I asked him to come with me, but he didn't think it would be a good idea." Zell sighed heavily. "I still have to tell Squall...."

"Squall is your best friend," she pointed out. "He'll care about you, no matter what."

"Squall doesn't like to be surprised," Zell said gravely. "Especially with something this big, especially because it's Seifer. I... I don't know how he'll react."

"I know you care about Squall, but you can't live your life for him, or even for me. Only for yourself, and I think that's why you told me. You even said so. You're tired of not being yourself, and lying to Squall isn't you being yourself."

Zell hugged his mother. "You always know what to say."

"Of course I do," she said, ruffling his hair. "I'm your mother." She then filled him in on things that had been happening since he'd went to Timber, and she asked about what was going on there. Zell couldn't tell her much because it was sensitive material and tied to a mission. She also asked about Seifer more, and Zell answered what he could, though their relationship was hard to put into words. He wished that he could have stayed longer, but he did have to get back to Timber. After all, there was a big mission going on. He kissed his mother goodbye, after promising that he would let her meet Seifer sometime when things had cooled down with Blackball and Diablos (though, he hadn't mentioned Diablos to his mother. He had the feeling that it would put her in danger somehow...) He waited around for the train, and when he got on, because he was SeeD, he got to ride in one of the special compartments. The first time Zell had ever ridden this train, it was when they'd first experienced Ellone's power, and everything in their lives had changed forever.

He sat back on the plush bench, putting his feet up and wishing Seifer was there with him. Wishing that he and Seifer could be in this posh compartment together, talking and kissing and _touching_ each other. He smiled, looking around. There were some magazines on the table, so he picked them up. One was a new issue of Timber Maniacs. They didn't have quite the zing of the older ones, especially with Laguna's rather amusing and charmingly befuddled articles. There was a ladies' fashion magazine, and one about golf. Zell decided to flip through Timber Maniacs, and started reading an interesting article by a fisherman in FH, talking about their growing dependence on machinery, and if it was them themselves that were becoming machines.

He went passed a boring article on environmental activists protesting in Deling City, and saw a photograph about archaeological digging in the Great Salt Lake. There was a great skeleton of an Abadon, and Zell skimmed the article. He'd always found that place fascinating, with its ancient bones and history. The guy was talking about some dragon bones he'd found. He was also talking about something new they were thinking they'd discovered, old bones of a monster long extinct. "It's very exciting," said Dr. Wilson. "To look into an age long dead, especially since we haven't ever found Varuna bones in this good of a condition."

Varuna?! Zell boggled at the word. Every word that Seifer had said to him, including when he'd rattled off strange ingredients in Blackball, including Varuna Wings. Zell read every word of the article, but there was only a little mention of a Varuna being a winged monster that had long been extinct. There was a shot of some assembled bones, only the torso. It had a humanoid looking body and big bat-wings. Much like Diablos.

Zell looked around, wishing they could be in Timber that instant. He knew he still had the problem of having to tell Squall about him and Seifer, but Blackball was more important. But, he was also scared. Squall was a lot harder to deal with than his mother, especially where Seifer was concerned. After all, Seifer still had bitter feelings towards Squall, and Squall was one to hold grudges, even more than Seifer. But, all he had to do was think of Seifer, and what it had felt like to be held by him, to be kissed by him, to have Seifer's tongue inside him, to wake up next to him....

Zell sighed heavily, looking at the archaeological article again, and at the photograph of a long dead Varuna, and what was left of its bones. Zell then wondered, with fear growing in him: if Varunas were long extinct, where was Diablos getting the ingredients for Blackball....?

For the first night in a while, the skies above Timber were clear and starry. Diablos, in his original form of Daeva, was standing in front of a large mirror above his sink in the minimalist bathroom, water dripping from his nose and chin. He splashed his face with the cool water, waist-length hair all around his nude body. In the mirror, he could see his beautiful Ulurha sleeping on the bed among blood red and ink black sheets, auburn hair mussed and flesh alight with afterglow. Also tangled in the sheets was Nha'zora, one of his maids. Her full bosom was exposed, and she had an arm flung over her delicate face, black hair fanned all around her, skin shining with sexual sweat. Her hands showed the claws that belonged on her true form, though her body was still that of a voluptuous, sumptuous woman. Diablos could have been enjoying their bodies in hours of debauchery and fun, but he could not. His mind was too pre-occupied.

"You do not seem to be enjoying yourself," a voice echoed throughout the bathroom. Diablos's human hands curled around the edge of the sink as Bahamut's voice reverberated throughout him. The demon could feel a swell of power as Bahamut materialized in his millions of years old human form; King Etanin, Lord and Tyrant of the Genoa Highlands. He leaned against the doorframe, wearing a black suit with a shockingly bright pink shirt, tie loose and undone around his neck as if he'd just come from quite the party.

"I always enjoy myself," Diablos answered, staring at his beautiful face in the mirror, aided by the blood of his faerie father, a man who had entranced his human mother because of her own prettiness. Because his hair was pushed off his face, slightly pointed and elfish ears were shown.

"But, not tonight Berith," Bahamut pointed out knowingly.

"How can I?" Daeva asked in a very human tone, holding the edges of the black marbled counter. "When in my mind, I have seen such unpleasant things?"

"Unpleasant things?" Bahamut echoed in that way that said he more than likely knew what Diablos was referring to. "Do you mean Tiamat? I have felt her power."

The demon had felt Thuban Alwaid's powers in the city, but that's not what preoccupied him now. Daeva looked at his King's reflection in the mirror he was facing. "For the second time in my existence, I have prophesied my own death."

Bahamut's head slowly cocked, but his face registered little. Diablos this was a show of surprise on the dragon's part. In the millions of years since his first contact with Diablos, Bahamut had never quite understood the demon's ability to predict the future. It was an inexact science. Even to Diablos. Often, the future had too many variables to completely predict, but there were some events that were more cemented than others. "Your own death?" Bahamut echoed with a little laugh. "How amusing."

Diablos's blue and black eyes flared to fathomless night, a starless sky. "You mock me?!"

"You are of Ancient blood Diablos, Lord of Darkness. A prediction of your own death? It's quite ludicrous."

"And yet, I predicted it... just the same." Diablos stared at his own human reflection. "I feel... quite mortal, Etanin."

"You're serious..." Bahamut trailed off, a little in disbelief. This behaviour wasn't like the demon. It was too... mournful.

"I am," Daeva hissed, turning to face Etanin, his human nudity of no importance. "I have lived for ages. I have lived for the rise and fall of humans again and again. And, it will be humans that defeat me."

"Which humans?"

"The SeeD that defeated Sorceress Ultimecia of the future. The friends of my former and your current Master, Squall Leonhart." Diablos's eyes became distant, as did Bahamut's at the mention of Squall's name. Diablos saw many things in the future, not just dealing with his own fortunes, but also the fortunes of others, including Squall's fate. He had that spark... that certain something... it kept him interesting to them. Diablos then laughed bitterly, silken hair falling off his shoulder, cascading down his pale and masculine back. "Odin's murderer, and Ifrit's current Master will combine to destroy me."

Bahamut shook his head, stepping into the chrome and black bathroom.

"You should heed my words, Bahamut. Odin was destroyed. It can happen to any of us."

"I do not live my life in fear of things that might not be."

Diablos hissed angrily. "You've never had faith in my clairvoyance. You see it as a mere joke!" He stamped his foot angrily, the shadow of him on the wall shaped like his real form, though his body was still human, was still Daeva. His hair swung around his pale shoulders and lean, muscled torso.

"Do you recall when you predicted a great earthquake would sink the Esthar continent 10,000 years ago?" Bahamut asked, putting human hands on Daeva's shoulders, stroking through his thick and lush hair. "It never happened."

"Esthar's digging into the earth is what prevented it...." Daeva muttered sulkily. "It still could have happened."

"_Could _have," Bahamut echoed with a condescending laugh.

"Oh, you are so vexing," Daeva whined angrily. "Can't you see I am troubled?!"

Etanin could see that he was indeed troubled. Daeva's black and blue eyes were clouded with distraction, and his nude body started to slowly mould to the dragon King's side. Bahamut had first met Daeva in human disguise, before even seeing his real, demonic body. Perhaps that's why Bahamut had such a soft spot for the Lord of Darkness. He'd himself been in his infancy as a Summon, still so connected to his human life and human emotions. He'd only been 100 or so years into his life as Bahamut, which was no time at all to their kind. And, to see such a beautiful, captivating man with the same powers as his own... it had touched the humanity in him, and it was something that the dragon could not forget, even all these years and years later. He had a... _weakness_ for Berith. And, the demon knew it.

Diablos wrapped human arms around Etanin's broad shoulders, resting his cheek against Bahamut's neck. His skin evoked memories of a civilization long turned to dust. Daeva had never known Etanin as a human, but he'd seen in through memories and his seeing abilities. Seen how powerful he'd been, even as a mortal man, how tyrannical he'd been, and yet how his people had loved him. Living in his human body as a disguise gave Diablos feelings he hadn't really felt in a long time. Feelings that were very human. Sexual feelings. Feelings of worry and jealousy... of weakness. Diablos hated humans, though he'd once been half human himself, and yet... there were interesting things about them. Dressing up as a human was necessary for his plan, but it also had perks. The perks of remembering the swelling lust he'd felt for Bahamut when they'd first seen each other, both in the guise of human men.

Daeva held the other 'man' closer, feeling Etanin's fingers run through his hair, holding fistfuls of it. He knew very well that other Summons were either jealous or wary of Bahamut and Diablos's relations together. But, he didn't care. Let them be jealous. It was more fun for him. He let out a small little sigh of contentment when Bahamut's human hands swept over his equally human naked skin. Daeva felt Etanin's lips hovering around his own, that warm breath touching his mouth and face. He moved in for a dark kiss, but was denied, strong hands on his shoulders pushing him back.

Daeva raised devilishly arched eyebrows, licking across his lower lip, knowing the powers of persuasion and seduction he possessed. Those were magic just as strong as his powers of necromancy or clairvoyance.

"You almost had me there, Berith."

Diablos gave the sultriest pout in his arsenal to the dragon King. "Why, My Lord... I don't know to what you refer..."

"Cut the shit," Bahamut snarled angrily. "Premonitions? Worried about your own demise? I know when I'm being manipulated, especially by you, my love."

"Manipulated?" Diablos echoed, his voice holding false innocence. For, in fact he had been using his premonition of that Sorceress's child and the mercenary with Ifrit destroying him to lure Bahamut to him. He'd done it before, acting sad and worried to gain Bahamut's comfort, no matter the form they took.

"Did you even _have _a premonition?" Bahamut asked, crossing his arms over the chest of his aggressively pink shirt.

"What were you and Manannan discussing in Dollet?" Diablos asked casually, examining his manicured nails.

Bahamut then laughed uproariously, his laugh echoing through the bathroom, multi-layered and non-human. "Why do you care? Business that does not involve you has always bored you to tears." Bahamut had a broad smile on his human face, though it was a far from human smile. That toothy grin belonged on a dragon's face.

"I _don't _care."

The smile disappeared, and Bahamut rolled black eyes. "Stop acting like a jealous mistress, Berith. I don't have time for this." He turned to leave, but something reached out and coiled around his wrist, strong and whip-like. Etanin Alwaid looked over his shoulder and saw that his wrist was being gripped by Diablos's thin, black-scaled tail, though it was still Daeva that was looking at him. He had a look of displeasure on his face. Because he wasn't getting his way. Bahamut frowned deeply. "Berith, you know that I do enjoy playing these little games with you, but my amusement is quickly turning to annoyance."

"Perhaps I am also filled with annoyance," Daeva hissed, black and ice eyes starting to fester into demonic, glowing yellow, his pupils disappearing. "That you don't take my premonitions seriously. Perhaps if I'd mentioned what I've seen for your impending future, hmmmm?" It was true that Diablos had been playing with his King, but his premonitions had also been true, and he disliked being fobbed off.

"Don't test me," Bahamut warned without moving his lips. His blue wings exploded from his back with his anger. Though the bathroom was human sized, when both changed into their real forms, the room didn't cramp them. Daeva's manor was as magical as he was. It swelled along with them. Ulurha and Nha'zora were awaken by the swell of power shooting through the mansion, their own less than human forms replacing their disguises. They quickly made themselves scarce, for they could feel the anger in their Master's power, but also the dark energy from Bahamut. Diablos's little game was a silly thing to start a fight over, but one thing you couldn't accuse GF of being was always rational.

One of Diablos's clawed hands got around the dragon's throat, but Bahamut's powerfully muscled tail slapped the demon away, sending him flying across the room, which had grown large and cavernous. Diablos used his wings to halt his backward motion, and flew at Bahamut, scratching his muzzle with talon-like nails. Bahamut snarled, smoke coming from his nostrils. He slapped Diablos with his tail again, long neck aiding him in biting Diablos's throat with powerful jaws, flapping his wings to send them flying backwards. The demon became sandwiched between the wall and Bahamut's heavy body, and he snarled, tail whipping around angrily as he tried to free himself from the GF King. Their sharp fangs and claws cut at each other, biting and scratching through the hard scales that armoured their flesh. Their wings beat against each other as their powers warred, filling the room, and even the city, with the darkness and depth of their ancient magic.

Bahamut roared angrily, using his much heftier body to tackle the demon to the ground. Diablos's wings and tail swished, and he hissed, but he was defeated as Bahamut's clawed toes dug into his flesh. Diablos began to cast Gravija in his anger, but his spell was cut off short when he was impaled sexually. It was more a show of power, for they didn't feel that same sexual pull while not in human form. It was still there, but far easier to control. Diablos dug his nails into Bahamut's muzzle, letting out another angry hiss. But, his falter in concentration also caused the magics surrounding the manor to get hold of them, rendering both of them back to human form. Diablos had cast runes on this land to help keep him in check, to prevent him accidentally changing to his true form in a fit of emotion. He could change at will while in the manor, as could any other GF, but the runes aided against accidental change.

When shrunk down to their human forms, Etanin and Daeva were tangled together sexually, the scars and scratches they'd given each other in their shuffle still on their flesh. It would heal in a few hours, but now the wounds were bleeding freely. Daeva's nails, which were long for a man, clawed down his King's neck, letting out an angry growl, but his hips raised, wanting Bahamut to brutalize him, just the way he liked. "So...." Daeva mused, groaning from both pleasure and discomfort. One of Etanin's thrusts was particularly vicious. "Looks like you played my little game after all...." He trailed off with a laugh, silky hair fanned all around him on the gleaming white tiled floor, which was also splattered with red blood, glittering unnaturally. Like liquefied rubies.

"You're infuriating, you little bastard..." Bahamut hissed, heavily biting Daeva's sultry and soft lower lip, blood spraying on their faces.

"I _did_ predict my death, you realize...!" Daeva's words died with a gasp, his body arching under his King. He clawed up Etanin's back, their kisses as violent as their sex. When they released against each other, it was more than a release of semen. It was a release of power that shook the house to its core, and also exploded across the city. Daeva smiled a toothy grin as he and Etanin collapsed into each others arms, dripping blood.

"What do you plan to do?" Bahamut asked, stroking through Daeva's hair, that beautiful hair. He didn't show it, but he was concerned about Diablos's prediction. After all, Daeva - his beloved Berith - meant more to him than his own daughter did.

"My would-be murderers will not leave this house alive." Diablos ran a clawed hand through Etanin's dark hair. "I can guarantee that."

Laguna moved his tongue over Edea's clitoris, fingers touching her from the inside. Her hair was a mess and sticking to her face and shoulders, as was his own hair, but neither cared. They only cared about sating the lust between them, about being together. They were in Edea's hotel room, having been there for days, making love and falling asleep in each other's arms, waiting until time ran out for them, which would be soon. Laguna's hands moved up Edea's soft torso, cupping her breasts. She gasped, legs wrapped around his upper torso, hands running through his hair, across his shoulders, over her own skin. When he brought her to orgasm again, she cried out, hand flung over her face, breath coming out shallowly.

Laguna sat up, looking down at her. God, she was so beautiful. He could taste her on his lips, the intimacy of her natural lubricant, the guilt and joy of what they'd done, all at once. He lay down beside her, stroking her sweaty hair, kissing her cheeks and her lips. He held her tightly, and felt her shivering a little. She held him back, her body moulding to his, but she was tense. "He'll be here soon," she murmured quietly, hands stroking up and down Laguna's back.

"I know. Are you going straight to Timber?"

She nodded against his throat, pressing herself tighter to him. "What will I do when I have to look in his eyes?" She asked rhetorically. She, of course, was referring to her husband. He was on his way to Esthar to get Edea, and they were going to travel to Timber together to see Seifer, to tell him the truth. He could have gone right away, but it seemed right for them to tell him as a couple. What a lie. How could Cid and Edea face their child as a couple when she'd been fucking another man behind the scenes?

"I don't know," Laguna whispered, kissing her hair, then her eyelashes, then her mouth. He ravished her mouth, not wanting to leave this room, not wanting to give her up. How could he look Cid in the face without screaming out that he was in love with the man's wife. He knew it was wrong, that there were so many people he'd be disappointing besides Cid. What would Squall think of him....? But, when he touched Edea like this, he wanted to make her his. He wanted to run away with her, far away where nobody from Esthar could find them.

"I should probably get ready...." She trailed off quietly, still in Laguna's arms, still in their adulterous embrace.

"Just a little longer," he insisted, crushing her to his chest, his heart aching for her. He may have had her beside him physically, and he may have just had her sexually, but that wasn't what caused him so much pain. He wanted all of her. He wanted her companionship. He wanted her love, he wanted her forever. They held each other tightly, but finally broke away. Edea had already packed for her trip to Timber, but she had to make herself look presentable, like she hadn't just been cheating on her husband with the President of Esthar.

"You must be excited to see Seifer?" Laguna asked stiffly, watching as she started the shower.

"How can I face him?" She wondered, torture in her eyes. She stepped into the shower, washing away the sweat and evidence of their lovemaking. Laguna did not try to join her in the shower, for then he wouldn't want to ever let her go. She got out, and started to blow-dry her thick, dark hair. Laguna watched her, her skin still naked and gleaming with dampness. She was so beautiful that it made him ache. Why did it have to happen this way?

Edea pulled on a simple black cowl-necked sweater and classic black slacks, pulling her long hair up into a bun. She started to apply make-up as Laguna took his turn in the shower. It all felt very domestic, but tinged with so much longing and sadness. For, Edea was feeling the same way Laguna was. She didn't want to leave this room. She didn't want to leave the strength and passion of his embrace, of what his fingers could bring from her body. She didn't want to leave the loving look in his eyes behind her. Her love for Laguna was cementing itself, warring with her love for her husband. In this hotel bed with Laguna, she'd forgotten about Cid more times than she cared to count. She'd only thought of Laguna, and of Seifer when they were drifting off into sleep. Thoughts of her beautiful son would make her think of Cid, and bring tears from her. How had it gotten this far? How had it turned itself into such a messy situation? Laguna blow-dried his own hair, and dressed in the clothes he'd been wearing when he came here, the clothes that had been discarded on the floor for days.

Edea pursed her lips as the phone rang. She sat on the bed, picking it up. "Yes?"

"Sorceress Edea, your husband is waiting downstairs," the desk clerk informed.

"Thank you," Edea whispered, slowly hanging up the phone, her muscles feeling weighted with her guilt. She stood up and moved to collect her bag. But, instead she ran into Laguna's arms, embracing him as tightly as she could without squeezing the life out of both their bodies. They held each other for a long, perfect, and yet so brief moment. They broke apart, and Edea collected her bag, looking sadly over her shoulder at Laguna before she left the room, her stomach plummeting with each step towards the elevator. As she rode down to the ground floor, she thought she was going to be violently ill. It was bad enough to know what she was doing, but to have to look into Cid's eyes knowing it... shame made her eyes water. Coupled with her nervousness at seeing Seifer again, she was a nervous wreck, her hands visibly shaking.

When she saw Cid, he smiled brightly, and she felt sick with herself. He walked to her, collecting her into a quick hug. "Why are you staying here?" He asked, kissing her forehead. "Did you and Laguna have a falling out?"

Flashes of Laguna's hands on her flesh, Laguna inside her filled Edea's memories. "No... I just found the palace distracting."

"Dear, you're shaking!" Cid exclaimed quietly, looking into his wife's face. He saw the distress there. "Don't worry... I'm sure Seifer will understand."

She pursed her lips, for they were quivering. "Oh, Cid...."

"Well, come on." He offered his arm to her. "We better get going. We should talk to Seifer before things get really crazy in Timber. That is, unless you want to wait....?"

"No," she said strongly. "We've waited long enough."

Cid nodded, knowing exactly what Edea meant. They couldn't put off the truth any longer. It wasn't fair to Seifer, and it was also denying them a life of really knowing their only son. Edea and he got on a small, personal Airship that Laguna had offered them. It was called _Wings To Discovery_, and would get them to Timber quickly. Thoughts of what she'd been doing with Laguna behind Cid's back were replaced with thoughts of Seifer. She'd cut out the pictures and articles out of the tabloids, which hadn't been very kind to Seifer in their description of him, a former 'bloodthirsty murderer' as they'd called him. The pictures had all become worn because of all the times Edea had taken them out and looked at them. She did just that now, taking the photos out and looking at them. A photograph of when he'd still been a child, when he'd been trapped in Ultimecia's iron fist, with his blonde hair and youthful face. And, now... hair dyed dark, fashionable eyeglasses on, his face so beautiful, but yet that of a man. He wasn't the child of Edea's memories anymore.

Cid noticed what Edea was looking at. "He looks more like you now."

She sighed. "The glasses and dark hair make me see you in him."

Cid laughed quietly. "I was never that handsome at his age. He still looks very much like your mother, though. I think she would have been pleased."

Edea made a thoughtful noise. "I wish Seifer could have known her. They are so alike...." She sighed, putting the pictures away. "I wouldn't blame him if he hated us."

"Let's just hope for the best," he said quietly, putting an arm around her shoulders as the pilot flew them towards Timber, the Great Salt Lake below them.

She nodded, head resting on Cid's shoulder. She wouldn't blame Seifer for hating them at all, and she also wouldn't blame Cid for hating her, especially when at such a personal moment for them, she was thinking of the man she'd left behind....

Seifer angrily punched the numbers on his calculator as he poured over financial statements and bills for Archimedes. After all, even though the shit was hitting the fan with Diablos, he still did have the responsibilities of owning his own business, and they were many. As he added things up, he checked his day planner, looking for a free day so he could go hunt Malboros. Malboro Tentacles were very hard to keep in stock, since they were popular among not only people for weapons, but also among Blue Mages, the fringe scenes like the fetish circuit because of the fact the Tentacles made high-quality whips, and also because they also worked wonders on everyday ailments like fevers and infection. Also, doing this work kept Seifer's mind off the fact that Squall and Quistis were coming to Timber to back up Selphie, Zell and Irvine.

Selphie was currently pacing, discussing GFs with Irvine. She still couldn't believe that they'd actually talked to the human form of a Summon! "Hey, guys...? What do you think Cactuar's human form is like? I mean, they couldn't have been too happy about turning into a Cactuar instead of some big crazy dragon or something cool like that...."

"Maybe it was a Cactuar to begin with..." Seifer trailed off, frowning at his lack of profit margins. "Tiamat said that Summons have human forms, but what if monsters can have that sort of power in them, too?"

"Maybe Tonberry's like that, too..." Irvine sighed, putting his feet up on the coffee table. He looked over at Seifer, sitting at his and Selphie's kitchen table. "Man, I'd hate to be that calculator right now." He was talking about how hard Seifer was jabbing the buttons.

"Huh?" Seifer asked sharply. "Oh...."

"Nervous?" Selphie asked. She didn't sit near Seifer, since the brunette had his papers all organized around him, and messing them up would probably make him angry, since he was already so tense.

Seifer gave his trademark smug chuckle. "Me, nervous? Yeah right."

"Squall and Quistis should be here in a few hours. They might bring Rinoa, too. I mean, I know she's not SeeD, but they still might bring her..."

Seifer sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know Irvine." He looked down at his papers. "You don't have to remind me," he added quietly.

"Without you, we wouldn't be even halfway to this point, babe," Selphie pointed out. "Even Squall can't argue that."

"I won't disagree there," Seifer answered, putting his pen down. "I'm sure he does appreciate what I've done for your mission, but that doesn't mean he has to like it. Just like I don't have to like the fact that I'm stuck in the middle of the whole thing, and will have to take orders from that little..." He stopped himself. "Never mind."

"Well, we can almost guarantee that Bahamut is going to be at the party tonight," Selphie murmured, starting to pace again. "I guess we'll be able to recognize him, since he's Tiamat's Dad. There could be a family resemblance."

Irvine tapped the brim of his hat. "I think we'll be able to recognize him by the power he'll be oozing."

"Maybe not," Selphie mused. "Since that house is Diablos's, maybe the whole thing's one big spell, and we'll sort of be... overloaded, and thus blinded."

"But, Diablos doesn't know we know about him..."

"I wouldn't count on that," Seifer muttered, looking up over the frames of his glasses. "He's probably seen it. After all, Tiamat said he was really powerful...."

They all fell into silence for a few moments. Selphie and Irvine then started to plan different things they could do, different tactics and such. Seifer concentrated on his paperwork, but his mind was wandering in a million different directions. He was thinking about Zell, about Diablos, about Tiamat, about Squall...

He looked up when the door opened, and Zell came into Selphie and Irvine's apartment, his cheeks flushed as if he'd run here from Balamb. Zell went straight to Seifer, not caring that Selphie and Irvine were in the room when he planted a sound kiss on Seifer's lips. The entire train ride back here, all he could think about was Seifer. Besides now knowing what Varunas were, of course. Seifer was taken aback by the kiss, but he welcomed it, reciprocating. Zell's hands were strong on the sides of his neck, and when Seifer touched the other man's face, his skin felt warm.

"Are you okay...?" Seifer asked, breaking away from Zell. "Is Ifrit acting up again...?"

Zell smiled, kissing Seifer again. "I'm great!" He exclaimed. "Oh... you mean why am I warm? Because there was a fucking car accident downtown, and it bunged up all the trolleys, so I ran here from the train station." He gently moved some of the papers that Seifer had placed on the chair, and sat down beside him. "I have interesting news."

"Oh?" Seifer asked, smirking coyly at Zell.

Zell reached out for Seifer's hands, cupping them. He then kissed the back of Seifer's hands and his fingers. He'd only been away from Seifer for a day, and he'd missed him so badly it had hurt. What would Zell do when he had to go back to Balamb for good?

"Awwwww!" Selphie cooed, watching them. "You two are _sooooo _cute together! Aren't they cute, Irvine? Why can't you be that cute?"

He shrugged. "I guess my freakishly large penis will have to make up for it."

Zell rolled his eyes at them, and then turned his attention back to Seifer. "So, anyway..." He looked at Selphie and Irvine, fingers still looped with Seifer's. "You won't believe what I found out today!"

"Ummm, I think we can trump you." Irvine held up a finger, eyes shadowed by his hat.

"Oh, really?" Zell asked with a cocked eyebrow. "I found out what Varunas are."

"We saw Tiamat's human form, and found out that Daeva Aka-Manah is really Diablos in disguise," Selphie said, doing a victory pose when Zell's face became blank.

"....what?" He asked, looking at Selphie, then Irvine, then Seifer. The seriousness of their expressions told him it was true. "_Human_ form?"

Seifer nodded. "She came to the door, as real as you or me. And, she told us that Diablos's human form is the Count. And, that the party was a trap. He was going to kill us."

Zell's eyebrows shot up. "You're shitting me."

"I shit you not," Seifer murmured. "There's so much about Summons that we never knew. Like, the fact that Tiamat is actually, like... 3 _million _years old. And, that Diablos won't be the only GF we'll have to face."

"What do you mean?"

"GF stick together," Selphie interjected. "Tiamat was breaking rules by even talking to us as herself. And, there's the fact that... Bahamut won't let us kill Diablos if he can help it."

"I don't believe it...."

"Squall and Quistis are on their way," Irvine added. "Tonight, we go to that party to kill Diablos, or be killed by him."

Zell shook his head, lips parted. "But, why would Diablos want to kill us?"

Seifer shrugged. "We don't know."

Zell frowned. "But, Seifer... the invitation was for _you_. What could you have done to make Diablos want to kill you?"

"Killed Odin?" He asked sarcastically. He then shrugged. "I really don't know. But, I have a feeling that he knew I would bring you, and it's killing two birds with one stone. Tiamat couldn't be specific."

"So... Squall's coming?" Zell asked at length. "How do you feel about that?"

"What can I do?" Seifer muttered, putting his paperwork away. "To save Raijin, I'd put up with anything." He closed his mailbag that he used as a briefcase. "Even Squall."

"Why are you still so bitter towards him?" Selphie asked, flopping down on the couch beside Irvine. He was looking at a map of Westphal, particularly the streets around Daeva's manor.

Seifer shrugged a shoulder. "Jealousy from childhood that I've never really got over?" He stood up, walking out of the room, into Zell's apartment. He didn't want to talk about Squall anymore. Neither Selphie nor Irvine said anything to him as he left. They knew he had a lot on his mind, as did they. But, Zell did follow him.

"I knew there was something about Aka-Manah that I didn't like..." Zell mused, watching as Seifer stared out the window to the street below. It had started to drizzle, the clouds looking heavy and ominous.

"What did your Mom say?" Seifer asked, after staring out the window for a while.

Zell stood next to the other man, resting his head on Seifer's shoulder, staring out the window as well. "She knew."

"She did?"

"Yeah... she said that she just didn't say anything because I wasn't ready to come out to her yet."

"How long has she known?"

"Always. I wonder if Squall knows, too...."

"To be fair..." Seifer pointed out quietly, arm sliding around Zell, hand resting on the small of his back. "Only me, Selphie and your mother knew. Selphie's a guru at that sort of shit, I knew because our situations were so similar, and she knew because she's your mother. Don't worry... Squall will be rightly shocked."

Zell made an exasperated noise. "I don't want him to be shocked."

"Squall hates change."

"I know."

"But, if he's really your friend, he won't care. He'll get over it."

"I hope you're right."

"So, what did you find out about Varunas?" Seifer asked, turning his face into Zell's hair, kissing his temple gently.

"Oh, right..." Zell reluctantly pulled away from the embrace, which felt so comfortable and familiar, and went to his bag, pulling out the archaeology magazine. He opened it to the article, and handed it to Seifer.

Seifer read over the article, studying the photographs. "I wonder if they existed around the same time as Diablos? Tiamat said he's about the same age as her and Bahamut. Oh..." Seifer looked over at Zell, briefly thinking of what Selphie had said earlier in the morning, about him and Zell being a couple. Was this his _boyfriend_ he was looking at? "Bahamut is Tiamat's father."

"What... you mean when they were human?"

Seifer nodded.

"Well... shit..." Zell sat on the edge of his bed, looking up at Seifer. "There's so much about GF that we don't know...." He watched as Seifer's elegant frame slowly sat next to him. "We've fought GF before, so it shouldn't be too bad... right?"

"I think this is different. This isn't a GF testing our fighting abilities like Ifrit on those SeeD Field Exams. This time, the fight is serious."

"What if something... happens?" Zell asked.

"You mean... if we die?"

Zell nodded. "When I was in Balamb today, I was thinking about what it would feel like to go back there for good, knowing you were here. It hurt to be away for even just one day... what would forever be like?"

"There's no such thing as forever," Seifer grumbled. "Selphie said we're a couple today."

"Are we....?"

Seifer looked at Zell for a long time. "I don't.... I-I guess so.... we're not exactly going about this in typical order." He cocked his head. "Do you _want _to be my boyfriend?"

"I...." Zell struggled for words, but let out a small sigh when Seifer's hand cupped the side of his face. With one touch, he knew the answer. And, it was yes. He crawled across the mattress towards Seifer, kissing him. The kiss was slow and gentle, rather chaste actually. It was only deepened very slowly, their mouths opening slowly against each other, taking each step with exacting time and patience. They suckled at tasted each other's lips, mouths opening together. Seifer could feel the warmth of Zell's breath mingling with his own, and a shiver went down Zell's back when the tip of their tongues touched. They'd kissed like this before, but it felt different this time. Different because of the heavy attachment in the kiss, the pleasure in it that was so deeper than sexual. Their tongues rolled over each other, filling each other's mouths completely. Seifer wrapped his arms tightly around Zell, holding him close, still kind of amazed that this was happening. Zell held him back just as tightly, and Seifer's brow furrowed. Not from discomfort, but from pure joy. It felt so good to be held by strong, masculine arms.

They broke their kiss, planting a few more gentle ones on each others lips before enveloping into a tight embrace. "Ma wants to meet you," Zell whispered.

"You think she'll want to meet me after she knows I'm Ultimecia's former lackey?"

"She already knows."

"And, she didn't ask you to stay away from me?"

"She doesn't care about that Knight stuff. Neither do I." Zell breathed in the smell of Seifer's skin. "I'm going to wait until after the mission to talk to Squall about it...."

"Probably a good idea." Seifer sighed heavily, laying back on the bed. "I'm not looking forward to seeing him again."

Zell reclined beside his 'boyfriend'. He'd wanted a boyfriend for so long, but he couldn't really believe that he actually had one. It almost felt like a dream. Like it would end when he woke up. And, the fact that his boyfriend was Seifer Almasy... No, he wouldn't think like that. He wouldn't think about the past like that. He wouldn't let it cloud how good things were at this very moment. Yeah, he may have disliked the Seifer of old, but not this Seifer. They were the same Seifer, but they were so different at the same time. They shared that old passion, but a new mental connection...

"Zell?" Seifer asked, noticing that the other man was a million miles away. "What is it?"

The tattooed blonde snapped out of his reverie "Huh....? Oh... nothin'. Just thinking. That you of all people are actually my 'boyfriend' now, I guess.... I just... it's not something I would have thought of for my future."

"If you're not sure...."

"I'm sure!" Zell exclaimed quietly. "I mean, it will take some getting used to for both of us, but.... it feels _right_."

Seifer smiled serenely. "I feel the same way. Like, one morning I woke up, and I was alone like I always was, and then all of a sudden, my life changed in the blink of an eye." He ran the backs of his fingers up Zell's muscled arm. "Like I found the man of my dreams." He smirked to himself.

"What....?" Zell asked, cocking his head. He lay beside Seifer, resting his head on the other man's chest. "What's funny about that?"

"Nothing funny... just remembering something."

"What?"

"... in Time Compression. I don't like to think about that time, but during Time Compression, I wound up lost... I don't know where I was. Maybe you guys were there the same time, fighting _her_. Because everything was so fucked up, it's hazy, but I remember... someone saying to me 'it isn't like you to give up. You're not alone.... you have someone waiting for you back home. The man of your dreams.' I... it was a nice thought, especially after everyone had abandoned me."

"Who said it to you?" Zell whispered.

"I don't remember. Maybe nobody. Maybe it was just my mind telling me not to give up, not to let _her_ win. Maybe it was just a dream. I don't remember any of the particulars, but I do remember that stuff." Seifer looked down at Zell, who was curled up against him, strong arms holding him tightly around the waist. "Maybe you're the man of my dreams."

"That's a nice thought. Though.... did you ever imagine it would be _me_?"

"Maybe it's not that strange. We always point out how it's so weird that it's us of all people falling into this relationship, but maybe it's not weird at all. There's a fine line between love and hate. We sure as hell wouldn't be the first two people to hop into bed with someone that we fought with all the time."

"It's more than just falling into bed."

"I'm glad of it."

Zell just smiled as they fell into comfortable silence, holding each other. They didn't want to let go, and didn't even want to break the silence. They wanted to take these last moments together before Squall and Quistis showed up, before the mission started, before the shit hit the fan. They both sighed when there was a heavy knock on the door. They disentangled from each other, Zell looking deep into Seifer's peridot eyes. "Ready....?" He asked.

Seifer just nodded, but he wasn't sure that he was ready at all. Zell went to the door, and Seifer came out of the bedroom, his stomach knotted with nerves. The person knocked on the door again, angrily and impatiently. Zell opened the door, and a tempest in the form of Fujin came storming in.

"EXPLAIN," she demanded of Seifer, not greeting him, not saying hello to Zell.

Seifer couldn't help but sigh in relief, even though Fujin looked angry. "Oh, it's you."

"INSULTING."

"I don't mean it like that," Seifer said quietly, gripping her shoulders and kissing her forehead.

She looked at him with one cold eye. "WORRIED."

"You didn't have to be." Seifer rubbed his forehead. "Just... a lot of shit's been happening, Fujin."

She looked over at Zell. "GARDEN?"

"Something like that."

Zell watched Seifer and Fujin converse, how he completely understood the context of her strange dialect. "EXPLAIN..."

"I..." Seifer looked at Zell, then at her. "I can't."

"WHY?"

"Because."

She just put her hands on her hips. She was much smaller than Seifer in stature, but she may as well have been a brick wall.

"SEIFER."

"I can't, Fujin."

"SEIFER," she said again, her voice like iron.

"It would put you in danger. I can't."

Zell didn't say a word. Seifer's concern for Fujin was very sweet and compelling, and her iron will about finding out what was going on was just as compelling.

"ZELL?" She asked angrily, glaring at him with her single eye.

"It's Garden business, Fujin."

"It's about Blackball, isn't it?" She asked, crossing her arms. "Seifer, you wouldn't give a fuck about Garden protocol unless it was something that you wanted to protect me from."

"It's more than that." He sat on the armrest of the chair nearest to him, weary.

"I want to help. If it's about Blackball, it's about Raijin."

"You're not SeeD," Zell interjected.

"Neither is Seifer!" She exclaimed angrily. "I have Garden training, too!"

"No," Seifer muttered firmly. "No."

"WHY?"

"It's not just some drug dealer, Fujin...." Seifer looked over at Zell, neither man knowing what to say. Zell knew exactly what Seifer was thinking. If they told Fujin the truth, about Diablos really being Daeva Aka-Manah, and him also supplying the world with the potent and addictive drug, it could put her in very deep danger.

"Tell me!" She shouted, shoving Seifer angrily. "I lost Raijin just like you fucking did, Seifer! I want whoever gave him that drug to fucking SUFFER!"

"Fujin...." Seifer looked up at her helplessly. He couldn't lose her, too....

Zell put a comforting hand on Seifer's shoulder, fingers massaging the back of his neck. "Fujin, I know you love Raijin, but Seifer's only thinking of your best interest. It's too dangerous."

Her lips quivered angrily. "DANGEROUS?" She echoed, voice hollow.

"What's all the shouting in here?!" Selphie exclaimed with worry, coming into the room. "Oh... Fujin!" Following behind the sprightly brunette were Quistis and Squall. When Seifer's eyes met those of his former rival, his stomach revolted, and he felt like he was going to be sick.

"Hello Seifer," Quistis greeted, ever the diplomat. "It's been a long time. You look... quite different."

"I _am_ 'quite different', Instructor." While he was talking to Quistis, he was looking at Squall, and Squall glaring back at him.

"You don't have to call me that." Quistis frowned a little. When they'd come in, she'd noticed Zell's hand on the back of Seifer's neck, his fingers hovering over the other man's skin in a way that mere friends did _not_ touch.

"... Sorry. Hello, Squall. Is Rinoa here with you?"

Squall flinched. "Yes," he spit out.

"She's in the other apartment with Irvine, setting things up." Selphie looked at the trio that they'd walked in on. She'd heard shouting, but they obviously weren't angry with each other. Selphie could very well see that Fujin was just worried about Raijin, and wanted to be useful. She was also wondering what Seifer was thinking, seeing Squall again in person. She looked at Squall's pretty profile, seeing anger there. She also saw hostility on Seifer's handsome face. "Ummm, maybe we should go in with Rinoa and Irvine..." Selphie waved her hand.

"Right." Quistis followed suit, trying to cut the tension in the air. For, they did have an important night. Also, a very dangerous one.

"STAYING," Fujin hissed, shoving past all of them into the other apartment. Selphie heard Irvine exclaim "Fujin?!", and she said something obscene.

Seifer just shrugged and went into the room as well, Zell walking behind him. Squall followed stiffly, and Quistis and Selphie brought up the rear. Quistis tried to catch her old friend's attention.

"What...?" Selphie asked.

Quistis sighed, watching the way that Zell sat between Squall and Irvine on the couch, but how he looked over at Seifer rather intently. "Can I ask you something....? About Zell and Seif...?"

"Later," Selphie interrupted, hiding her nervousness. She knew that Quistis was very perceptive and intelligent. She didn't want to give up Zell and Seifer yet, because it would make things messy for both of them, and also because she didn't know exactly how serious they were. But, she would bet a great deal of money that they were getting _pretty_ tight.

Seifer stood in the far corner with Fujin, who _refused _to leave. Nothing short of blowing her out of the room with a tank would make her move.

"Okay...." Irvine dimmed the lights and started a slideshow. First came up pictures of Count Aka-Manah's manor. "This is the house. As you can see, it's pretty big. We're not sure how many guests will be there, but it was in the society page of the Timber Morning Star." Irvine flipped the slides, and the article popped up. "So, we can guess quite a few people, most of them innocents. We say most, because Tiamat's human form hinted at other GF being there. We'll refer to her as Thuban when speaking of her human form. We can almost bet the farm on Bahamut being there. We know what Thuban looks like, so we may be able to pick Bahamut's form out of a crowd." Irvine switched to the next slide. "This is Diablos's human form. Daeva Aka-Manah. From Thuban's information, he would be about 3 million years old, so definitely not a push-over."

"Remember how hard he was to fight when we rubbed that bottle?" Selphie asked, looking at Zell and Squall. "And, he probably wasn't even really trying. He had no personal reason to want us dead."

"Why does he want you dead?" Quistis asked, flipping some of her loose blonde hair over one shoulder. "You weren't really specific on that."

"Because we don't know," Irvine said. "Thuban pointed out that Diablos has a lot of powers. That even when he was human, he was a necromancer. But, the more important one is that he's clairvoyant, and I'm sure that skill has only gotten, like... better in 3 million years. Maybe he saw something he didn't like. The invitation was addressed to Seifer, under his alias, Raef Emaissyl."

Squall looked over at Seifer, at his now brown hair and the eyeglasses, how he still looked like he was in very good shape. Even as children, Seifer had always been the more muscular of the two, broader and more powerful across the shoulders and chest. "Why would he invite you?"

Seifer angrily sucked the inside of his cheek. "I don't know. Maybe because I have a good reputation in town as an alchemist and blacksmith? But, Tiamat said that we wouldn't have left that party alive, so Diablos obviously saw something in the future. Maybe he's afraid because I killed a GF once."

"It has to be more than that," Selphie said quietly. "Something to do with us."

"Why you?" Rinoa asked. She was sitting on the arm of the couch beside her husband. She saw him glaring at Seifer, and put a relaxing hand on his shoulder.

"If Diablos can see the future, he would have seen that I would have brought Zell, Selphie and Irvine to the party." Seifer crossed his arms, looking out the window and avoiding Zell's gaze. He didn't want to look at Zell then, lest it would give his feelings away. It had started raining again.

"Why?" Squall asked.

"Hmmm?" Seifer looked over at his former rival.

"Why would you bring them?" Squall asked, an eyebrow raised. "Why wouldn't you bring Fujin?"

"Because Fujin has to work, and is it so fucking hard to believe that Zell, Selphie, Irvine and I have become friends, Squall?"

Squall opened his mouth to say something, but looked at Selphie, Irvine and Zell, and saw them staring at him, asking the same question that Seifer had with their eyes. He just closed his mouth.

"Can we continue, please?" Quistis asked.

Irvine flipped to another slide. He showed articles about Daeva, or rather Diablos. "Diablos, as Daeva, has made a reputation for himself in the city as a charitable man."

"CHARITABLE?" Fujin choked out angrily. "MURDERER. DRUG DEALER." She spat the words out, disgusted by everything.

"What I don't understand..." Quistis murmured thoughtfully, putting her hand to her chin. "Is why Diablos would bother with all this?"

"I guess we won't find out until tonight..." Selphie looked over at Seifer. "Okay, so here's the plan. Seifer, Zell, me and Irvine will go into the party as planned. We already know what Daeva looks like, so that's a plus."

"And, we totally felt all of Thuban's power when she came here," Irvine noted. "We could probably feel Diablos from a mile away."

"Seifer isn't SeeD," Squall pointed out. "You should not be part of this mission."

Seifer snorted. "Oh, then how would you explain to the security guards, who I'm _sure _will be there even if we don't show up, just on matter of it being a party at a rich man's house, why you're there without an invitation?"

Squall couldn't answer.

"Besides, if I can fight a slew of Ruby Dragons alone, I think I can handle myself against Diablos, especially with three SeeD there with me."

"I'm coming, too...." Fujin trailed off quietly.

"No," Seifer said firmly. There would be no more discussion on the matter.

Quistis stood, and started to pace around as she thought. "Okay Fujin, if you want to help so badly... and I'm sure you do," she said with feeling, remembering what they'd said about Raijin. "You can stay here with Rinoa and find out everything you can about not only Daeva Aka-Manah, but about his business, and also about Diablos. We'll have a radio communication set up, so you and Rinoa can relay messages to me and Squall. We'll be patrolling outside the manor, waiting for Seifer's team to give us a signal."

"Right," Rinoa said, looking at the now black-haired woman, her single red eye flaring angrily. "I could really use the help, Fujin."

She huffed angrily. "FINE."

"What should our signal be?" Irvine asked.

"Go back to the shot of his house," Squall said quietly, getting up so he could look carefully at the screen. His eyes trailed over everything that was shown. "Irvine, when you need us, separate from the rest of them, and go to this window...." Squall pointed to a second-story rose window. "Shoot it out with Fire Ammo. Quistis and I will come then."

Irvine saluted him. "Sounds like a plan, Stan."

"Diablos probably already knows you're here," Seifer muttered. "Especially because from what they tell me, you were the one that always junctioned him."

Squall's mouth remained a thin line. "We'll just have to deal with that."

"Ummmm..." Rinoa raised a finger. "What about _your _GF?"

Selphie nodded. "Thuban said that she might not be able to help us, that even talking to us was going against Summon Court's rules. So, what about our GF?"

"We can't count on them," Seifer said sternly.

"I guess that means we're fucked."

"We're SeeD," Zell muttered. He'd been very silent up until that point. "We can handle it." He'd barely been paying attention to the conversation around him as he'd sat beside Squall, and repeatedly tried to catch Seifer's gaze. But, Seifer had been avoiding it. "We better start to get ready...." He went into his own apartment, his mind torn in so many different directions. He knew he had to concentrate on the mission, because it was his life on the line, but it was also Selphie's life, Irvine's life.... and, Seifer's life. And, sitting beside Squall that whole time, he'd thought that he should tell him the truth. Squall deserved it.

"Zell....?"

Zell turned around, a smile on his face. But, it wilted a little when it was Squall, not Seifer, that had said his name. "Yeah?" He asked quietly.

"Something's bothering you."

The smaller man shrugged. "Finding out a 3 million year old demon wants me dead... yeah, that's distracting."

Squall nodded, but Zell knew him well enough to know that there was more. "Are you sure about trusting Seifer?"

"Where's he now?" Zell asked, trying to keep his voice casual.

"Arguing with Fujin."

"He doesn't want to put her in danger," Zell said quietly. "He loves her, and he doesn't want her to get hurt. Especially after what happened with Raijin."

"Loves her?" Squall echoed. He was still mentally hung up on what Seifer had said about Rinoa, and about if she'd had a dick.

"As a best friend. The way I love Selphie, or even Quistis and Rinoa. The way I love you."

Squall got uncomfortable at Zell's declaration, though he knew it was true. Squall did love Zell, though not in the same way he loved Rinoa, or even how he loved the memories of Raine that Laguna had given him. But, it was still uncomfortable to say. But, it wasn't really the time to be thinking about that....

"But, I do trust him, Squall. Really. You know me well enough that I would be kicking and screaming in protest if I wasn't sure."

Squall thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I do know that."

"He's been a lot of help," Zell defended, wishing that all of this would just go away so he and Seifer could be alone together.

"I.... don't doubt that, but..." Squall cut the air with his gloved hands. "Never mind that right now. Diablos is our main concern."

Zell nodded, slowly letting his breath out. "Yeah, especially because he wants to kill me for some fucking unknown reason."

Squall didn't say anything, but his scarred brow furrowed, thinking of the possibility that Zell, or even Selphie and Irvine, could die. He slowly reached out and patted Zell's shoulder. The blonde frowned a little, but then smiled. It was Squall's way of showing worry without actually having to come out and say he was worried. Zell patted Squall's shoulder back, for he was also worried. He then hugged his friend, feeling that Squall's back was very stiff. He wasn't much of a hugger, though he did eventually hug back. He was worried about tonight, but also about how Squall would react to the news that Zell wasn't only gay, but that his boyfriend was actually Seifer. Zell couldn't even really believe it, so how could Squall....?

The party was crowded with people. There were press there from newspapers and shows that had stuff about parties and fashion and the like. There were also guests from all over Timber, and the more nefarious guests that were really GF in disguise. But, to Seifer, Zell, Irvine and Selphie's chagrin, it was hard to tell which were real humans, and which weren't. Because there were so many people, and because the whole house felt like a spell charging, it made things a little confusing for them. But, Daeva stood out. Not only because his face was memorized by all of them, but because he _wanted _to stand out. Even though they knew what he was, and knew he was a danger to them, they found themselves rather hypnotized by him. Irvine had pointed out that the reporters and guests also fawned all over him.

"He is rather attractive," Seifer mused as he sipped some champagne, talking to Zell by the piano. There was a professional playing, and there had also been some women hired to sing. Right now, one was singing a jazzy, smoky song in Galbadian. Seifer played with the red silk ascot he was wearing at his throat, under his charcoal grey three-piece suit. "Beautiful, even."

Zell stood close to the other man, wanting to kiss him, but refraining. Squall may not have been there, but there were lots of people hanging around. "Not as beautiful as you. You look great."

The corner of Seifer's lip turned up in a smirk. He looked down at Zell, who was wearing a very nice pair of dark brown slacks and a black cashmere sweater with a sport jacket over top, also in dark brown. "You look pretty hot yourself," he murmured with a wink, but it was half-hearted. He was looking across the room at Daeva, who was talking to a reporter from Timber This Morning, though his strange gaze kept looking over at Seifer and Zell. Those black and blue eyes, too pretty to be entirely human. Daeva flipped some of his beautiful hair over one shoulder as he laughed at some question the female reporter had asked him. The laugh was dark and sensual, and very ugly to Seifer and Zell, who knew what Daeva really was.

Seifer looked away, not wanting to fall under the demon's spell. "Did you notice his ears?"

"...No...?"

"They're pointed," Seifer muttered. "Thuban said that he would be in human form. Maybe why his eyes are like that, and his ears...." Seifer shrugged. "Maybe even when he was human, he wasn't entirely human."

"But, what would he be then?" Zell asked, a little disbelief in his voice.

"I don't know. But, strange things could have existed three million years ago."

Daeva excused himself from the conversation, eyes wandering across the room again to the two men by the piano. His future killers. He took a glass of 'red wine' from Nha'zora. It was really blood. "Thank you, my dear. Tell Ulurha that it's almost time."

"Of course." She bowed to the demon and went off to find Ulurha. Daeva was going to make his way across the room towards Seifer and Zell, but stopped when he saw a woman enter the room. She was chatting with someone, a human. Did that human realize who he was speaking with? Daeva went over to her, kissing her cheek.

"You've chosen quite the outfit, Daeva." Parminder Patel murmured, looking Daeva up and down. His face was so impossibly pretty, and yet his body was so impossibly masculine. He was wearing black velvet pants with soft leather black boots. His shirt was also black, but it was pure, sheer lace. It had bell sleeves, and _should _have been dainty on him, with the femininity of the garment, and the prettiness of his face. But, it wasn't. It looks masculine. Even with his nails painted black, and the shining silver claw ring he was wearing on his left index finger, he looked very masculine.

"One should always leave a good impression fashionably." He struck a pose, laughing as he drank from his crystal goblet of blood. He gave Parminder a toothy grin. "You look lovely as well, dear."

She rolled ice blue eyes at him, which stood out startlingly compared to her mocha skin and black hair. "Your flattery does not work on me." Parminder was wearing a beautiful sari in white with an ice blue pattern on it, showing off her hard, flat stomach and lean arms. She was wearing a diamond in her naval, as well as a small diamond on her forehead, an even smaller aquamarine just below it. Silver and platinum bracelets and rings flashed on her arms and fingers, also on her toes. She was a vision of exotic loveliness, her skin warm like chocolate, her eyes and voice cold like ice.

Daeva winked at her, and she couldn't help a small, indulgent smile. The great Ice Queen's teeth flashed pearly white against her darkly painted lips, just as her eyes contrasted with the black kohl around her eyes. "You always did know how to throw a party," Shiva mused.

"Do you see who's across the room?" Daeva asked, looking across the room he was in, not to Seifer and Zell, but to Bahamut, who was conversing with a man from the Forest Owl Hospital. The demon winked at his King, and then looked to Shiva.

The Lady of Ice wasn't sure to what Diablos was referring, so she looked over the crowd. She saw humans from all walks of life, and also a few of Diablos's disguised minions and GF in human forms mingling. She saw Manannan sipping champagne by the bar. The bartender didn't seem to care that it was a child he was serving. With any other child, it would have looked shocking, but with Manannan, it didn't look odd at all. How could it, for his aura was that of an 8 million year old god. Or, perhaps Leviathan had bespelled the bartender. She also saw the Lady of Silence standing near the bar, listening to the female singers Daeva had hired. She felt magical gazes on her, her beautiful mouth smiling brightly as she walked across the dance floor. She kissed each of Shiva's cold cheeks, and then wrapped her arm around Diablos's waist. "Those singers you hired are actually quite good," she said in her voice that was too beautiful to be human, full of tones and notes that were heartbreakingly wonderful.

Aria Lobzhelle-Qithe is what she'd been known as when she'd been human. At just under 1 million, she was one of the younger GF in the court, but was one renowned for her beauty and the power of her voice. Her hair was golden blonde, shimmering like spun ore, and her eyes were a lovely shade of green, but they swirled with multi-faceted colour; pinks, greens, blues, violets, golds and pale greys. She had a voluptuous, sensual body. It was part of the faerie blood that had mingled with her humanity, much like Diablos himself. It gave her the powers of sexual seduction, just like Diablos's faerie blood did with him. It had made them friendly among the courts. She was the Golden Tongue, he was the Poison Tongue. Siren and Diablos, the messengers of the Court.

"Hello, my dear." Diablos put a finger under her chin, tilting her face upwards. "I was just telling our friend here about a certain guest she'd be interested in."

Aria frowned. She may have liked Daeva quite a bit, but she often disagreed with his malicious sense of humour. Her shimmering eyes looked to Parminder. "It isn't a game, Daeva." Siren looked sadly across the dance floor, seeing who Shiva would so hate to see.

Shiva followed Siren's gaze, but didn't see Odin's Destroyer right away. She saw the other SeeD dancing together. The one called Kinneas, and the one called Tilmitt. The Tilmitt girl had a red dress on that twirled as she was spun around the dance floor, a matching hibiscus in her hair. She was laughing, though Shiva sensed there was more. Then, she saw it. Though the face had changed, Shiva would never forget him. Her beloved's murderer. The Almasy boy, stained by the Time Sorceress Ultimecia. It filled her with ugly memories, and she felt her disguise begin to slip. Her breath came out from between her lips in a thick white cloud. Only Siren's hand on her arm prevented Shiva from going right over there and destroying that boy like he'd destroyed her heart, like he'd destroyed Mercredi. "Parminder, please...."

"Don't worry, my cold darling..." Diablos took a long drink of blood. "They won't last the night."

Both ladies looked at the demon. "Whatever do you mean, Daeva?" Aria asked, raising a golden, suspicious eyebrow.

"You know that he means something nefarious," Etanin's smooth voice interrupted. He'd ended his conversation with the human, coming over to join the Ladies and his Berith.

"My Lord..." Aria moved to bow, but Etanin waved a hand.

"Please don't. It will draw attention." But, Aria did step away from Daeva when their King came up to the group. Etanin took Aria's place at the demon's side. His arm was possessively around Daeva's waist, and the demon gave a contented smile, leaning against Etanin's hard body.

"What are you planning?" Shiva asked when Diablos's happy smile turned into a plotting one. Ulurha, in his youthful and sexual human form, slowly came across the room, stopping at the bar, nodding towards his Master.

"To rain hell down on these poor souls."

Selphie and Irvine left the dance floor, joining Seifer and Zell. "It feels really ugly in here..." Selphie commented.

Seifer and Zell only had eyes for the three people standing around Daeva. Seifer would cut off his own nuts if they weren't Summons. Selphie looked to where they were staring, and nearly gasped. "Okay, I'm guessing the one that has his arm around Diablos is Bahamut... He and Thuban look alike."

"Who do you think the women are?" Irvine asked. "They're pretty hot...."

Selphie smacked him in the shoulder, and Seifer and Zell just frowned. "I'm not sure, but I'm guessing GF, especially because they seem so friendly with Diablos." Seifer cocked his head towards the bar. "The kid drinking... GF, too."

"Shit, I hadn't even noticed him," Zell murmured. Indeed, there was a 13 year old drinking scotch as if it was something he did often. His face was that of innocence, but there was a hard look in his eyes the way he stared around the room. Beside the child was a sensual looking redhead who nodded at Diablos as if there were something about to happen.

"Irvine," Selphie whispered. "Get ready to make a run for it. I think the shit's going down."

He nodded, hand casually going to the small of his back, where there was a gun hidden. As if on cue, there was a horrible scream from the lobby down some stairs. There were also shouts and crying out, and it was like a stampede. Swarms of people came flooding into the house, screaming and shouting indecipherable things. They all had that sweaty, strung out look of Blackballers. Guests from the party screamed, and the group of four pulled out their weapons as guests were roughed up by shouting and screeching drug addicts, looking wildly around.

"Ahhh, my guests!" Daeva called, stepping into the large ballroom, a big smile on his pretty face. "I'm so glad you could come." He snapped his fingers, Nha'zora and Ulurha coming to him, carrying large bowls that were almost too big for their arms. Two more servants did the same. The chandeliers illuminated off the shining surface of the bowls' contents. Blackball, and lots of it.

Seifer's heart leapt in his chest, his eyes searching the crowd for Raijin's face. The servants flung the contents upwards, raining Blackball down on the crowd. Guests were shoved out of the way, screaming as they were trampled by desperate addicts.

"Go!" Selphie shouted to Irvine. She pulled out her nunchaku, running across the ballroom for Diablos. They had not junctioned their GF, because Quistis had thought it would be far too dangerous to rely on something that might turn on them. Diablos just laughed, thrusting his hand outward. Selphie was slapped back by a strong magical spell.

Irvine had noticed where the stairs were on the way in, and he shoved and pushed his way through the tight crowd. It was hard, and Blackballers were trying to assault him, probably wanting to search his pockets for money. Blackballers scrambled on hands and knees as the balls fell to the ground. They sighed happily when they swallowed their beloved drug, the singers Daeva had hired now singing a song that the Blackballers started to sing along with.

__

Vi'kshatlatha Kollerurlah, dos meik u'sheikaram dahzi.

So'ulurha dos y'khexial xialiphi dos meikaka.

Vi'shak xillath xerthar dal akaxa doxapha...

Zell and Seifer fought his way through the crowd, eyes never leaving Diablos's human face. Those eyes were watching them the entire time, but they were halted by awful screams of rage.

"My Lord....!" They all exclaimed, shoving more of the drug into their mouths, but just spitting them out.

Diablos laughed as if the whole thing was terribly funny. "My poor little addicts, I grow weary of you."

"Noooooooo!" A few of them wailed, falling to their knees and crying out in physical and emotional pain.

"You son of a bitch!" Zell hissed, pushing his way through the crowd, attacking Diablos. He actually got a couple punches in on that pretty face, but he was flung backwards by what felt like a whip. He fell to his knees, looking up to see Daeva staring down at him, a black tail swishing behind him.

"Ulurha! Nha'zora! _Sishza Meishe'hadxa! Dos xill doxzharm vi'zhar del vorallaram!"_

Irvine had made his way up to the second floor, pulling out his gun as he ran down the decadent hallway towards the rose window that Squall had pointed out as the spot for the signal. But, he skidded to a stop when a beautiful, dark-haired woman was blocking his path.

"I saw you come up here," she mused in an accented voice. But, it was an accent that Irvine had never heard before. She mockingly bowed, her round breasts nearly falling out of the plunging neckline of her gown. "Nha'zora, at your service."

Irvine stared at the woman, not sure what to make of her. When her shadow grew long and took a shape that wasn't human, Irvine pulled out a second gun that had been holstered at his hip. He saw wings and horns or something in the shadow, and then the self-proclaimed Nha'zora transformed. Wings sliced from out of her back, spraying blood everywhere. It didn't smell like regular blood. It smelled acidic, chemical. She grew taller than what her human form had been, arms lengthening, claws growing deadly. When she'd fully transformed into a demon, she let out a hissing noise, her wings carrying her to Irvine's position with scary speed. She slashed out at him, and he had to jump back to prevent being decapitated. The thing, which looked like the pictures Zell had shown them of a Varuna, then cast Haste on herself, her moves a flurry of dangerous activity. Irvine fired at her, but he wasn't sure if he was really hitting her. This creature really did look like Diablos, but lacked some of the GF's majesty. He dashed past Nha'zora when she flew to his former position, not only slashing out with claws, but butting with her horned head. She hissed again, spittle flying from her fanged jaws. Irvine ran to the window, ducking and firing when the demon kept moving closer.

He howled in pain when one of her long arms caught his elbow, pulling hard enough that it popped his shoulder out of socket. But, he just rode the pain, using his free arm to smash out the window. It cut him up, but it also gave him the chance to pop a round of Fire Ammo out the shattered frame of the rose window, illuminating the sky. "Squall! Quistis!" He also screamed, not knowing if they could hear him or not. Shit, Irvine wished he had Quetzacoatl with him at that moment. This thing was fucking relentless. Irvine fired the gun loaded with Fire Ammo right in the demon's face. She howled and stumbled backwards, her wings flapping angrily as her big claws brushed at her face, trying to dust sparks away. Irvine raised his other gun, which was loaded with Pulse Ammo, and fired. But, because of his dislocated shoulder, his aim was a little off, and he got her in the chest. Nha'zora was flung backwards, and Irvine started running. He wanted to get downstairs again, where he could have backup. He heard the demon scream behind him, and he also heard the sound of her flying through the air. Irvine pressed himself to the wall, but she turned on a dime, slamming into him. The large picture windows behind them rattled, and Irvine started struggling against her. He did not want to go sailing through the windows onto the cement walkways through the garden below. He fired his Pulse Ammo again, getting a little space between him and the angry Varuna. He made it to the mouth of the stairway, but Nha'zora tackled him again, and they went tumbling down the stairs. Irvine groaned in pain from his shoulder, but also because he was hitting nearly every stair on the way down, with a heavy monster right on top of him.

Nha'zora hissed in Irvine's face, and he felt her hot breath wash over his face. Her breath smelled like blood. He felt her charging up a spell, and he fired into her belly again. Then, a whip was wrapped around Nha'zora's throat, and she was pulled away, a powerful water spell also being cast on her.

"Quistis!" Irvine exclaimed, rolling away. The blonde pulled her whip away, caging the Varuna. "Just in time." He grunted and rose to his feet, raising the gun and shooting Nha'zora again. It got her in the shoulder, and the power of the Pulse Ammo blew her arm right off. She screamed an awful noise, calling out something in that strange language. Then, a flurry of black bats enveloped her, and she vanished. The bats whirled away, Irvine and Quistis's eyes following. A cloud of the bats made Daeva materialize. Quistis and Irvine both moved to attack him, but this wasn't a lowly Varuna. This was the Lord of Darkness, the Dark Messenger. A 3 million year old magical powerhouse.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed that you've so maimed my Nha'zora." He put his hands on his hips, the claw ring glinting. Irvine fired at him, but Diablos dodged with the grace of a dancer. As he shot, Irvine cast a quick glance across the foyer and the ballroom that it opened to. There was chaos everywhere, people dead on the floor, skinny and unhealthy looking Blackballers wailing and going berserk, attacking anything and anyone they could. Guests were still screaming, running out the front doors before they could be assaulted too. Selphie was fighting through the crowd of Blackballers, using her nunchaku and slot magic. Squall, Seifer and Zell were facing off against a woman in a sari, glaring daggers at Seifer.

"Irvine, be careful!" Selphie screamed, jumping over fallen bodies, moving towards them. Diablos just laughed merrily, and cast Gravija on Quistis and Irvine as he gracefully moved towards Selphie, a strong hand slapping her across the face, stumbling her backwards.

As Daeva played with the others, Parminder stared hatefully at Seifer Almasy. She would never forget his face, for as long as she existed. "Parminder," Aria said quietly, her voice persuasive. "You're playing right into Daeva's hands."

Shiva hissed at Siren, her skin starting to pale. She stepped forward, ice forming where her feet fell. "You murdered Odin," she said angrily.

"Shiva, please..." Squall commanded. "Why are you doing this?"

Shiva cocked her head, looking at her master. There were frozen, dead bodies around her, bodies that had stood between her and Mercredi's killer. "Master Squall, I do respect you, but I will have vengeance."

"He would have killed me," Seifer pointed out, Hyperion raised. "Should I have just rolled over and died?"

"Yes!" She roared angrily.

"Shiva, Lady of Ice.... I will not let you walk into Diablos's plans based on anger alone. The Lord of Warfare knew the dangers." Siren said this, light glowing from underneath her skin, like the sun had risen in her blood. She said it with a commanding, hypnotic voice. Siren wrapped her arms around Shiva's cold body, exploding into her GF form in a rain of shimmering feathers. "You are on your own, humans." Shiva disappeared with Siren, spewing angry obscenities at the golden-tongued goddess.

"Shit," Zell cursed, seeing that Selphie and the others were in trouble. He jogged across the room, which had emptied out as much as it was going to of innocents. Blackballers were still screaming for their fix and getting in the way. Before Squall could join him, he was tackled by a woman with short brown hair and a willowy, skinny body. Squall sliced out with his gunblade, but it seemed to miss, even though the woman was right on top of him. Seifer ran towards Squall, who grunted in pain when the servant known as Zhasta started choking him. Seifer may have had his disagreements with Squall, but he wasn't just going to stand there and let him be killed by one of Diablos's minions. Seifer kicked at the girl's head, and when she looked over her shoulder at Seifer, it was the face of a demon. Seifer's blows hadn't affected what Seifer guessed was a live Varuna at all. Squall had a look of shock on his face when blood rained down on him from where Zhasta's wings tore through the skin of his back. The clothes she'd been wearing were shredded as her body grew, claws and horns exploding outwards, showering Squall with the chemical-smelling blood. She snapped at Squall's face with razor-sharp fangs, and Seifer sliced at her with the gunblade. It caused her to wobble off him, but didn't do nearly as much damage as he would have liked. He kicked her in her ugly, demon face and yanked Squall out from under Zhasta's heavy frame.

"You okay?" Seifer asked, not averting his gaze from the Varuna.

Squall nodded, his gunblade also armed, using the back of one arm to wipe the blood off his face. Seifer looked beyond the female monster to see that Zell and the others looked like they were in big shit against Diablos. He was still in human form, but his shadow was large and monstrous on the wall behind him. Seifer tried to cut of Zhasta's head, but he found that though she was right in front of him, he missed. Squall also tried, and failed. How were their weapons missing her? She clawed at them, and Seifer slammed into the wall hard enough that it cracked, knocking the wind out of him. Squall fell to his knees when one of Zhasta's wings hit him across the face. Suddenly, the demon seemed to stop moving, and Seifer was able to drag himself to his feet and slice Zhasta's head off with a single blow. He started to jog across the room to Zell, limping. He must have hurt his leg when he'd slammed into the wall.

"Berith won't be happy you let one of his little demons die," Etanin murmured. He and Manannan were sitting near the piano. They were still in sight of everyone in the room, but were paid no attention. Etanin was sitting on the instrument's bench, while Manannan had his small, child-like feet resting on the key cover, a cigarette burning between his lips.

"You really think he cares?" The Serpent God asked, casually blowing out smoke. "Besides, they are good masters, as far as humans go."

"Would you side with them?" Bahamut asked casually, eyes following the movements of Squall Leonhart, who Diablos's eyes had also landed upon.

"I do not wish to side, but I am allowed to disagree with Daeva, aren't I?"

"As am I," the King conceded.

Quistis, Selphie and Irvine had been in the fray with Diablos, but now were involved with fighting more deranged Blackballers, driven mad with a lack of their precious drug. More seemed to be pouring in, as if called by Diablos. It also served the purpose to separate the most interesting to the demon. His murderers, and his former master.

"Why are you trying to kill us?" Zell asked, hissing as his mouth filled with blood. He'd bitten the inside of his cheek when knocked the ground by one of Diablos's fists, and now it was bleeding profusely.

"I have seen things in the future that I do not like," Diablos answered, looking completely calm and elegant as he stared down Seifer and Zell with his black and blue eyes, which were starting to fester into a demonic amber. "Things that involve you."

"What have we done?!" Seifer demanded angrily, lashing out at Daeva. The other man sidestepped easily, elbowing Seifer in the back of the neck with a powerful downward thrust. It blackened Seifer's vision, but he still arced his arm backwards, slicing with Hyperion. Diablos made a less-than-human hissing noise, his black lace shirt torn at the back, sliced open by Seifer's gunblade. Blood flowered in a thin line, and Diablos shrieked angrily, eyes flaring yellow. They could actually see Diablos's anger, like a poltergeist in the room with them. He began to grow and change, human disguise vanishing, making way for his true form. Seifer grit his teeth and ran straight for the demon, using that moment when Diablos was weak to attack. He thought of what Raijin had been like before he'd ever heard about Blackball, how Diablos had stolen his life, how Diablos was trying to steal his own life right now, and how he would have also tried to steal Zell's life. How many people had similar stories? Children, parents, siblings, loved ones that had been so utterly consumed by what had actually only been a mere game to the GF?

Hyperion was knocked away, sliding across the marble floor by Diablos's tail, but Seifer still had his fists and kicks, and he used them all. He didn't stop even when those wings enveloped him, even when Diablos hissed in his ear, and snapped razor-sharp fangs near his face.

"Seifer!" Zell exclaimed, heart in his throat. Diablos had merely been toying with them up until now. What if he decided to stop playing around, and really did kill Seifer, while Zell was standing right there watching? He gasped as Diablos and Seifer crashed into the far wall. There was an ugly cracking sound, and Zell started to run towards the fight, but was held back by Squall's hand on his elbow.

"Squall?!" Zell exclaimed, frightened for Seifer, and bewildered by Squall.

"You can't just tear in there," Squall pointed out logically. "It would just wind up backfiring. We need another plan." The Varuna blood on Squall's face and clothes was starting to dry and flake.

"Well, what do you suggest?!" Zell exclaimed. He yelped when Diablos let out an awful scream. Black blood shot out from somewhere in the tangle of his body and Seifer's.

Bahamut's human form sat up straight at the piano. The seemingly innocent child beside him continued to smoke, a scotch glass casually in one hand. "Diablos made his own bed, My Lord."

Etanin's black eyes flashed angrily, but he didn't respond. It was only when he felt the air become thick with old, archaic power that he stood up from the piano bench. Manannan's silvery eyebrows shot up, for this was a power he hadn't felt in quite a while. In his 8 million years of existence, Leviathan had been called a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them. He knew an ugly situation when it was brewing, so his body vanished, returning to a sea from another world, another time. The only things that showed he'd been there at all were an abandoned scotch glass, and the sea water dripping over the keys of the piano.

Seifer couldn't see because of the curtain of his own blood in his eyes, and the pain throbbing through him as Diablos's claws dug deep into his muscle tissue, but he'd been lucid enough to drop the Dark Crystal he'd hidden up his sleeve into his palm. It was the icon item for Tiamat. He knew it was a long shot, but he was losing, and badly, to this ancient demon. It must have worked, for Diablos's head jerked, and he was visibly surprised. Seifer dug his nails into Diablos's pectoral muscles, digging until blood spurted out. Diablos just let out a deafening noise of anger, his body exploding into hundreds of angry vampire bats, their wings beating against Seifer's face and body as he tumbled to the ground. The bats filled the room, and Zell and Squall had to cover their faces to prevent the bats scratching their eyes out. The bats just screeched in Zell's ears, but Squall heard a distinct voice when they swirled all around him. _I grieve for your future, little kitty._ Then, Diablos seemed to laugh in his head, and the bats rose up through the ceiling.

Squall lowered his arms from his face, looking around. Had anyone else heard Diablos say those things? It sounded like it had been inside Squall's brain. He was shoved to the side by a looting Blackballer, and stumbled to regain his footing.

"This way!" Selphie shouted, rising up the stairs. She kicked a Blackballer in the face who tried to grab her leg, and then screamed when the whole house seemed to shake on its foundation, a great roar let out. It was matched by another screaming noise that they recognized as Diablos. Irvine tried to move towards the stairs to Selphie's position, but he was shoved out of the way from behind. He went sprawling to the ground, almost landing under the piano. He looked up and saw a man walking across the ballroom floor, big scaled wings sprouted from his back. Quistis was also shoved out of the man's path, his shadow that of a great dragon. Bahamut had joined the fray. He disappeared, the ground rattling again.

"Upstairs!" Selphie cried, running up. Irvine was helped to his feet by Quistis, and they started to plough through more Blackballers. Where were they all coming from, anyway?!

"Seifer..." Zell called quietly, kneeling beside the other man. "You're bleeding...!"

Seifer touched his temple, hands searching the ground for his eyeglasses. Zell picked them up, and lovingly put them back on Seifer's face. "It's just a surface wound, don't worry." He used Hyperion to help himself to his feet. "I summoned Tiamat...."

"I still don't know why he wants to kill us, but I'm not letting Diablos leave here alive." Zell cracked his knuckles and started to run for the stairs. Seifer followed, Squall slowly behind, his mind still elsewhere. Thinking of Diablos's voice in his head.... Quistis and Irvine brought up the rear, staying on the stairs to prevent more swarming addicts from blocking the path of the others. A great tremor shook the house, and a large chandelier fell from the ceiling, crashing into the center of the ballroom. Quistis was knocked to the side, a breaking window raining glass down upon her.

"Why have you forsaken usssss?!" The loud voice of a Blackballer hissed. He came into the foyer, others behind him. Quistis visibly gasped, and Irvine raised his gun, though it was with a heavy heart. Raijin looked over at them, and his starry black eyes glittering angrily. "It's you!" He yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at his former Instructor. "You and Seifer, that fucking Sorceress's _Whore_!"

Selphie was the first to get upstairs, screaming as the house shook again. Windows broke on all sides of her, and she crouched, covering her head with her hands as glass fell all around her.

"Selphie, you okay?" Zell asked, helping her to a standing position. Seifer and Squall had run up ahead, but Zell saw his potential lover halt short. There were large shadows playing on the walls. That of a demon, and that of a dragon.

"You dare show your face in my house?" Daeva asked. He was back in human form, standing in front of Thuban. It had been quite a long time since he'd seen her human form. He asked the question casually, his voice trembling a little. He had not foreseen this....

"I don't care about Court ties, Daeva. You will always be a dirty little mixed-blood slut. My father's _slut._"

"Siding with humans?" Diablos asked angrily. "Where is your pride, your majesty?!" He once again transformed, as did Thuban to Tiamat. She shot flares at him from her mouth, Diablos screaming angrily as her dark fires enveloped him. Seifer and Squall ran towards Diablos, wanting to catch him while he was distracted, but before they could reach him, they stumbled. They both tried to halt their steps before the bumped right into the huge blue dragon that had appeared from nowhere between the smaller gold and navy dragon and the black and red devil. He roared angrily, powerful jaws snapping at Tiamat's face. Only her agile neck prevented a fatal blow. She made a blood-curdling hissing noise, biting at Bahamut. She bit into his muzzle, smoke billowing from her nostrils. Seifer and Squall tried to move past Bahamut to their real target in Diablos, but the dragon's wings spread wide, and they were sent backwards by a powerful wall of magic and sheer aura. Squall's spine cracked against an end table, shattering it. Seifer went skipping along the floor like a rock, hitting his chin on the unforgiving wood surface.

The whole manor shook again as each dragon cast powerful flare spells on each other, fire licking from their tongues and between clenched jaws. Both had taken to the air, which was filled with bats now. The air felt thick with gravity spells that sucked the air out of the SeeD's lungs.

"MY LORD!!!" Raijin screamed, running up the stairs with Blackballers in tow. He could feel the power of the Evil Messenger. When Raijin's eyes saw Seifer trying to rise to his feet, all he could hear was his heartbeat in his ears, and the lack of his Lord's beautiful voice. He ran straight for Seifer. "This is your fault!" Raijin screamed, hands getting around his former friend's throat. Quistis came running up the hall, her whip winding around Raijin's neck, trying to pull him back. She got her knee in the small of Raijin's back, and she pulled, but the man was holding a death grip on Seifer, even though he looked so emaciated.

Diablos laughed all around them, the bats forming a thick and opaque cloud nearby. Daeva manifested from them, laughing still. Zell was behind the demon, and kicked the back of Daeva's head with force. The Count fell to his knees, and Zell saw Squall's gunblade laying scattered on the floor nearby. As Daeva looked over his shoulder, hissing and sprouting wings, Zell dove for the blade, and drove it through Diablos's torso, the point coming out his stomach.

Bahamut roared, his teeth sinking into Tiamat's neck, tossing her around like a rag doll. _If you thought me cruel before, Thuban, you have certainly mistaken it for kindness in comparison to what I will do to you now,_ Father hissed to Daughter in the language of Summons. _You will wish for mere banishment._ He ripped out part of her neck, dragon blood flooding the hallway. His angry gaze then turned to the humans, and Daeva kneeling on the floor, blade poking through him. His wings were grown, and his tail was out, but blood was pouring all around him. Tiamat shrunk to human size, laying in a small lake of Summon blood.

Diablos grunted and pulled the gunblade out of his body, changing completely to his demon form. Blood pumped out of the wounds in massive amounts. Summons bled so much more than was even imaginable. The manor shook with Bahamut's power, and the demon was swept up among his Lord's large wings. But, not before a clawed hand grabbed Raijin around the wrist, yanking him away from Seifer, who fell to his knees, gasping for air. Diablos laughed weakly as he, Bahamut and Raijin were enveloped by bats, and disappeared.

Distant gunshots could be heard from Irvine's rifles downstairs, but upstairs was silent. Selphie and Quistis looked around, weapons ready. Squall was slowly rising to his feet, swaying and rubbing his back. Zell crouched beside Seifer, arms around the other man's shoulders. "Are you okay....?" Zell asked.

"No...!" Seifer gasped out, looking across the hall. He saw Tiamat, now Thuban, slowly writhing among her blood. "Shit." He ran towards her, stumbling and falling because of the pain in his body. "Tiamat?!"

"Go help Irvine," Squall commanded, stumbling as he walked towards where Zell had dropped Lionheart. He bent to pick it up, but he only fell down.

"Right...." Selphie nodded at Quistis and they went back downstairs. Selphie was stumbling as well, exhausted from using slot magic so much. It heavily worked her magical skills, but also her skills of mathematical calculation. Slot magic was based on math and percentages based on variables. Different spells changed integers in the equation of which magics would be on hand for her.

"Squall, here..." Zell took one of Squall's arms, and wrapped it around his shoulder, helping his friend to his feet. Squall was going to protest, but that blow against the end table had really taken it out of him. His back was throbbing, but at least he could move his feet, and it didn't feel broken.

Seifer had brought a kit of items with him, hidden under his coat, which was now ripped and tattered. He tore it off, pulling out items. He used various GF meds on her, her wounds slowly healing. "I... I have made a great enemy tonight," she panted. "An... an enemy... in my own father..." She started to disappear. "Do not worry.... I will heal... in time.... but... so... so will Daeva......" She vanished, leaving Seifer kneeling in her blood.

Seifer sighed heavily, rubbing his throbbing forehead, accidentally smearing Tiamat's blood on his face.

"You're still bleeding," Zell said quietly, looking at Seifer with concern. One of the lenses of Seifer's glasses was shattered.

Seifer pursed his lips, smiling wearily at Zell. "I'm okay...." He then sighed, thinking of that look in Raijin's eyes. Even though his former best friend had just tried to choke him to death, Seifer was still worried about the fact that Diablos had taken him. And, not only that, but had laughed so maliciously about it, a dark plan hatching in his demonic mind. But, what would that plan be....?

"It's not safe here," Squall pointed out wearily, heavily depending on Zell and his strong arms.

"Do you think it's safe anywhere?" Seifer asked bitterly, rising to his feet.

Squall frowned, using his gunblade as a crutch, pulling away from Zell. "You.... fight well."

Seifer rolled his eyes. "Glad you noticed. But, I agree. Let's get the fuck out of here."

"Diablos will come back," Zell mentioned, squeezing Seifer's shoulder. He looked over at Squall, but the other man was very distracted, concentrating on merely standing on his own. "So will Bahamut."

"We need to heal ourselves first." Seifer ran a quick hand through Zell's hair before they slowly walked up the hallway, still prepared for _anything _to jump out at them.

"Maybe Rinoa found out something useful." Squall caught a Hi-Potion that Seifer tossed at him. The tall man downed one of his own, and gently placed one in Zell's palm. Zell smiled wearily, realizing how close to death they'd all come, and it had only been luck that had prevented it.

"What will you tell Fujin?" Zell asked when they were alone at the top of the stairs. Squall was barking short instructions to people downstairs.

"I.... the truth," Seifer muttered, kissing Zell gently on the temple before carefully descending the stairs, taking one at a time, and each very cautiously. "What else _can _I tell her?"

Zell frowned, looking down at Squall giving instructions to Selphie and Irvine. Seifer's words hit home. He was chastising himself for even thinking about that stuff at a time like this, but maybe it was the hard fighting and being slapped across the face with mortality that did make the issue hit closer to home. He owed it to both Squall and Seifer to tell the truth.

"Let's just heal ourselves," Quistis pointed out with practicality. Squall called Rinoa and Fujin on the phone, wanting them to come to the manor. Squall thought it best that they hang around her and gather information.

Quistis acted as the healer, hesitantly junctioning Leviathan so she could use her stocked Curaga spells. After Seifer had been healed, he found himself in an untouched study. There were all sorts of old books and strange baubles in here that he looked at with tired eyes, but he was too distracted. He needed to get his glasses fixed, so half his vision was blurry. He slumped into a plush red velvet chair, holding his head in his hands. In one hand, he held the Dark Crystal that was Tiamat's icon item, guilt washing through him.

He knew Zell was there without having to look up. Zell sat on the ottoman that matched the chair, hands rubbing comforting circles on Seifer's knees. "Don't worry about Tiamat. She said she'd heal, and she wouldn't have fought if she didn't want to."

"That look in Raijin's eyes...." He trailed off. "Him looking at me with such hatred... it brings back ugly memories. About being her Knight."

Zell kissed one of Seifer's hands, then pulled out a sample of Blackball that had been littered on the floor like scattered pearls. "They're all over the floor. It feels different than before."

"Because it's not Blackball anymore. Diablos didn't only plan to kill us. He planned to fuck over all those addicts by taking his power out of the drug."

Zell nuzzled against Seifer's fingers, closing his eyes. "What do you think Diablos saw that made him want to kill us?"

Seifer looked at the other man. "I think you know. He would have predicted tonight, so he probably saw his own death. Kill or be killed, that was his motive."

Zell sighed heavily. "I was hoping you'd say something different. Fuck." He rubbed his forehead, and they sat in silence, taking comfort from the mere presence of each other.

Zell looked over his shoulder when he heard footsteps on the floor outside this remote study. He'd been expecting Selphie and Irvine, or maybe even Fujin, but not who was standing in the doorway.

Edea gently knocked on the door, heart leaping in her throat that Seifer was really before her. Cid was standing beside her, very still and silent.

"Matron....?" Zell asked with disbelief, rising to his feet. "What are you doing here?"

Seifer's head snapped up, and his lips parted. He felt like he had heartburn, discomfort and hot pain working up his chest.

"We just came from Esthar. We went to your apartment, but Rinoa and Fujin said you were here. I've been briefed by Rinoa." Edea stepped into the room. "Seifer....."

He just stared at his former Matron, his former Sorceress.

"It's good to see you," Zell went over and kissed her cheek, the same way he kissed his own mother's cheeks. "Hello, Headmaster." He bowed.

".... that won't be necessary, Zell." Cid put up his hands, but he had none of his usual jovialness. He was far too nervous for that.

"Seifer.... it's been so long." Edea took another careful step forward.

"A lifetime," he muttered, that hot feeling still burning his throat. When Edea got closer, he gasped. Pain shot out in his brain, stabbing behind his eyes. She closed the gap between them, reaching out to touch his hand. When she did so, he felt a flare of something ugly and familiar. Her power. It tingled his fingers, and it made him jump back with enough force that the ottoman that Zell had been sitting on toppled over. Edea also stood back.

"What is it, dear?" Cid asked, putting his hands on his wife's shoulders from behind.

"Stay away from me!" Seifer hissed, backing up. He was pressed against a bookcase with old volumes and strange bottled objects.

"Seifer, please...." Edea reached out for him again, but folded her hands together, such love and sadness on her face. "I know that I've hurt you terribly, but I want to apologize so very badly. I never meant to hurt you.. you know that, right?"

He didn't answer.

"Zell, can you please excuse us?" Cid asked quietly. "We must speak with Seifer privately."

Instead of just following the Headmaster's orders, Zell looked to Seifer for what he should do next. Zell and Seifer held gazes for a few long moments, and the blonde could see the other man's fear, all those horrible, nightmarish memories in his pale green eyes. Seifer eventually gave a small nod and a pursing of his lips. He looked so vulnerable that Zell didn't want to leave him alone. But, Seifer nodded again, and Zell could only abide by the other man's wishes. He left the room, but he didn't go far. He sat in an alcoved window-seat, staying near in case Seifer needed him. Or, even if he didn't need him. He just stayed nearby _for _him.

"Well, what do you want?" Seifer asked caustically. "Because I'm sure whatever it is, I don't want to hear it." He blocked his fear with a mean veneer, like he'd done so many times in the past.

"We have to talk," Edea said quietly, looking at Cid. "It's very important."

"If it's about.... _her_...."

"Ultimecia has nothing to do with this."

Seifer flinched at the mention of her name, and jerked back when Edea tried to touch him again. He felt like there were bugs crawling on his skin, their millions of legs making his skin want to rip off his bones. "What could you possibly have...."

"It's about your parents," Cid interrupted.

Seifer's eyes narrowed. "What....?" He asked, a little confused.

"Please Seifer... sit." Edea motioned to the chair he'd been sitting in earlier.

After a long time, Seifer eventually did sit down. Edea and Cid weren't going anywhere, and he was sure they wouldn't let him leave until they'd said whatever they'd came to say. Let them. It didn't matter to him.

Edea pulled up the ottoman, sitting close to the chair, but far enough away that she wasn't invading Seifer's space. "You look so handsome...."

"Cut the shit!" Seifer shouted. "What the hell do you want?"

"Don't talk to your mother like that," Cid exclaimed with emotion, gasping a little after the words fell from his mouth.

Seifer couldn't help but laugh at his former Headmaster.

"He's telling the truth, Seifer." She reached out to touch him, and he jerked away again. "You look so beautiful," she murmured. "All grown up."

"What's going on here?!" Seifer demanded.

".... Cid and I wanted a child so badly," Edea said quietly. "I did get pregnant, but it was a difficult term. But, I was determined to not give up on the baby inside me. After I birthed the child, there were complications, and I was barren after that. But.... that was a dangerous time. Adel was power-hungry and a threat over everything, especially over a Sorceress who had just given birth to a child."

Seifer opened his mouth to interrupt. He didn't want to hear Matron's sob story. But, she kept talking.

"I was frightened for our child, so I kept him hidden in the Orphanage, giving him another name, my mother's maiden name. I would have rather separated myself from my child than ever see harm come to him."

"Why are you telling me this...?" Seifer asked wearily. "I don't want to hear it, Edea."

"You're that child." Edea's lips quivered as she looked at him, seeing the pain and hostility in his eyes. "I wanted to tell you so many times...." Tears started to fall down her cheeks. "But, I was worried for your safety. Look into your heart, Seifer, and you'll see the truth. Cid is your father, and I am your mother."

Seifer shook his head, unable to believe such a crazy story. "Yeah right."

"Seifer, please." She gripped one of his hands between her own, her power flaring again and moving up his arm.

Seifer violently pulled his arm away from his former Mistress, but it was too late. He'd looked into her eyes, and saw the truth there. And, he'd seen the truth in her touch, in himself. He got up, stumbling over his feet, banging into the bookcase again. Things clattered, fell. He looked into Cid's calm yet earnest face, and into Edea's golden brown eyes, shining with tears. It was true. Something within him told him so.... Cid and Edea... they were his parents.


	7. Chapter 7

****

Seven

"This can't be happening," Seifer breathed out. He felt like he was in some sort of crazy nightmare. "You guys are just fucking with me." He started to move to the door. It had to be this place. It was Diablos's mansion around him that was making Seifer hallucinate... It _had _to be.

"Seifer, please!" Cid urged. "We know this is shocking, but please listen to us."

He turned around slowly, looking at Cid and Edea. Something was still gnawing at him, and when she touched him again, reaching out to pat his arm, it flared again. He stumbled back, lips quivering.

"Why...... why didn't you tell me?" Seifer asked quietly. He'd always wondered who his parents were, if they'd died in the Sorceress War, if they'd abandoned him, or if they just hadn't wanted him, and gave him up to a bunch of strangers. That had always been Seifer's deepest fear; that it wasn't the Sorceress War that had taken his parents from him, but rather that it was him that had made his parents vanish, that even as a child, people had wanted to be far away from him as possible. But, this.... looking into those familiar eyes of his former Matron and his former Headmaster, seemed so much worse. They'd been parental figures for him, and yet.... what he'd wanted more than anything as a little boy was his parents, and they'd been right there the whole time. Lying to him.

"I can see on your face that you're shocked...." Cid murmured.

"Shocked?!" Seifer interrupted, his shock turning to anger. "Shocked?" He glared at both of them. "You never thought to tell me _any _of this?"

"It was for your safety," Edea whispered. She'd been so afraid that this would happen, that Seifer would be angry.

"Yeah, maybe for when the Sorceress War was actually happening. But, Adel was gone for years."

"But, not dead." Cid put his arm around Edea's shoulders. "Her threat was always there."

"You didn't think I could handle it when I got older? It would have been obvious I had no magical powers." Seifer glared at Headmaster Cid. No.... _his father._ "You saw me every fucking day!"

"I... I wanted to tell you so many times," Cid admitted. "It broke my heart to lie to you, but...." He sighed. "I was afraid. Afraid of putting you in danger, but also afraid of what you were going to say."

"That's the weakest excuse I've ever heard." Seifer could barely hear Cid's voice over the rapid beating of his own heart in his ears.

"I know."

Seifer let his breath out, shaky and angry. "And, yet... as long as I was at Garden, you were hard on me for _everything_. But, you praised Squall and stroked _his _fucking ego."

"I was hard on you because I knew you could do better," Cid pointed out. "You were destined for better things than being a school bully."

Seifer's upper lip curled up in a sneer. "Well, maybe things would have been different if you hadn't lied to me, hmmm?"

"Seifer, please..." Edea wrung her hands together, moving towards him again.

"Stay away from me!" He exclaimed. Whenever Edea came closer, all he could think about was Ultimecia. Oh, how she must have loved this dirty little secret. "So...." He hissed out stiffly. "What did old Ulti think of this whole thing?"

"I used everything I could to keep it from her," Edea said, taking very small steps towards him. Her son. "Every last ounce of what made me Edea. I used it to hide that from her. She would have revealed the truth to you in the cruellest way possible."

"And, this isn't?" Seifer asked harshly, glaring at both of them. "Sweet-talking it doesn't take away the fact that you waited almost thirty fucking years to _get around_ to telling me!"

"It's not like that....!" Edea began, reaching out and taking one of Seifer's hands between her own. That power flared up again. It was her Sorcery, and it swelled like an ocean's crest, moving through her blood, heating her veins. It felt like there was a sun rising within her, and yet it felt dark. It was a black sun that was rising in her blood. Her fingers tingled where they were touching Seifer's skin, and he yanked his hand away, a look of fear coming into his peridot eyes, which swirled with the pale green colour, but also with gold. That evil gold that Edea knew very well....

Seifer cradled his hand to his chest as if it were burned, staring in shock at Edea.

"Seifer.... I...."

"Get away from me," he hissed. But, he also sounded very much in control. He knew that feeling. It was a feeling that still made him wake up with nightmares, even all these years after Ultimecia's demise.

"Please, Seifer... I... I didn't mean..."

He just made a disgusted noise, stalking to the door.

"We love you," Edea called quietly, her heart breaking. She had been worried that this would happen, that Seifer would be angry at them, but she'd still held out hope that he would be glad to finally know who his parents are, and that they were still alive.

Seifer's hands were on the ornate doorknobs, and he looked over his shoulder at them, a sneer on his handsome face. "Fuck you." He yanked the doors open, storming out into the hall.

"Seifer!" Edea called, starting to go after him. But, she was stopped by Cid's strong yet loving grip on her elbow.

"Let him go," Cid murmured sadly. "Let him absorb all of this. Then, afterwards, maybe he'll want to talk."

Edea nodded, but there were tears blinding her gaze. It torn her up to just let him walk away like that. She looked down at her hands as Cid wrapped his arms around her from behind. She sighed into her husband's embrace, looking at her fingertips, still feeling the tingle in them.

"Seifer...!" Zell called quietly, seeing the taller man storm out of the study. Seifer didn't appear to hear him, so the shorter blonde jogged towards him, stopping Seifer by grabbing his wrist.

Seifer yanked his arm away, not really seeing anything. He didn't see anything. He could only see his memories of Ultimecia, and what Edea and Cid had just told him. They'd fucking lied to him this entire time?! And, what about what he'd felt when he touched Edea? Was this... her way of trying to hold him under sway again....?

"Seifer?" Zell asked, eyebrows raising. Seifer's face was snow white, and his lips were bloodless and quivering. Zell stepped closer to him, seeing the distress plain on Seifer's face. It also looked like he was sweating a little bit. "Shit man, what happened?" Zell started to run his hands up Seifer's arms, feeling that the tall man was trembling.

Seifer jerked away. How dare they lie to him for all these years?! And, they just expected him to forgive them?

"Seifer?" Zell reached out for the other man again, starting to get really worried. He tried to hug Seifer, for that had been the most comforting thing they'd done with each other, but Seifer again pulled away. "What happened?"

"I have to get out of here," Seifer said, his teeth chattering, though the temperature in the house was quite comfortable. That feeling when Edea touched him was running up and down his spine. It felt like Ultimecia, a feeling that Seifer had ran to Timber to forget. He'd changed his name, changed his life, tried every sort of psychiatric prescription drug to cure himself of it, and Matron made it all flood back with one touch.

"Why.....?" Zell asked, looking to the study that Seifer had just barged out of. "What happened?" Zell cocked his head, confused. He grabbed Seifer's wrists, and again Seifer yanked himself away.

"I...." He looked into Zell's concerned eyes, heart slowing a little. But, that feeling of Ultimecia rolled through him again, a wave of nausea. Seifer's fingernails raked across his forehead as the pain stabbed from behind his eyes. When Zell's hands touched him again, Seifer could only feel Edea's poisonous hands. "Don't touch me!" Seifer screamed angrily, shoving Zell away.

Zell fell backwards, completely shocked. "Seifer....? What the hell has gotten into you?!" He rose to his feet, also starting to get angry. Why was Seifer acting so fucking weird?

Seifer covered his face with his hands, laughing bitterly into his palms, sounding quite manic. What if Ultimecia wasn't really dead? After all, there were all the complications of things happening in the past and the future. What if there was an event that happened in the past that would just make Ultimecia come back again and again....? What if Edea _became_ Ultimecia again?! What if she used him again? What if he let himself be used again?

"What did Matron say?" Zell asked, nervously putting his hands on his hips. Seifer sounded like he was going to have a nervous breakdown.

"_Matron's_ a lying whore!" Seifer ground out into his hands, breathing heavily enough that he was on the brink of hyperventilating.

"Don't say that about her!" Zell exclaimed, at a loss to Seifer's behaviour. He was also starting to get angry on Edea's behalf.

"You _would_ defend her, Chicken-Wuss. That bitch...." Seifer was sure he would have burn marks on his skin in the shape of Edea's hands. _My mother's hands._

"What the fuck?" Zell then crossed his arms, glaring at Seifer. Where was the humble Seifer that Zell had gotten to know again? Where was the calmness in his passion? The voice coming out of Seifer's mouth sounded like the Sorceress's Knight of old. Not the Seifer from their Garden Cadet days and earlier, but the Seifer that was under Ultimecia's sway. "Why are you talking about Matron like that?"

"I need to get out of here," he panted, not really hearing Zell.

"You sound like the old Seifer," Zell pointed out, which made Seifer stop all motion.

"What?" He demanded quietly, glaring down at the man he'd just agreed to try a relationship with. Part of Seifer just wanted to collapse onto the cold marble floor and be enveloped in Zell's arms. He wanted Zell to stroke his hair and kiss him again and again and tell him it was going to be okay. But, the other part was just so fucking scared to lose everything he'd gained back for himself, including the love of another man - a man like Zell - that he was lashing out.

"You sound like the old Seifer," Zell repeated quietly, wondering if he'd _again_ spoken before thinking. Seifer's face had already been white, but it paled even further, his pale green eyes on fire with anger.

"You mean Ultimecia's Knight?!" The bespectacled man asked, voice so tight that each word snapped like rubber bands.

Zell pursed his lips. "Call it what you want, but yes."

Seifer got close to Zell. Normally, Zell would have been glad to have the other man this close to him, but now it was an invasion of personal space. Seifer poked his finger hard and harshly into Zell's chest. "Fuck. You." He spun on his heel and stormed out, upsetting planters and statues as he went, the stone figures smashing on the marble floor.

Zell stood in place, fuming. He'd actually given that asshole the benefit of the doubt? He'd actually wanted to be his _boyfriend_?! Fucking prick. But, then his anger turned to regret. Zell put his fingertips to his temples, whispering "shit." He felt moisture pooling at the corners of his eyes, tears forming and wanting to fall down his cheeks. He knew that his comment had been very insensitive.

"Zell?" Cid asked, putting his hand on the short man's muscular shoulder.

Zell gasped loudly, jumping on the spot and whirling around. The shock caused one of the unshed tears to trickle down the tattooed side of his face. Cid was looking at him, having the same look of sadness on his face.

"Where did Seifer go?" Edea asked, leaning against the wall, as if physically injured. But, they were emotional wounds that were taking their toll on the Sorceress.

"Did he do anything to you?" Zell asked, rushing over to his Matron. "Are you okay?"

Edea waved a hand. "I'm perfectly fine. Seifer didn't do anything to me. It is I that have wronged _him_."

"He was acting very strange." Zell frowned deeply, stepping back when he saw that Edea was indeed fine.

"Where did he go....?" She asked again.

"I dunno." Zell looked away, feeling remorseful again. When Seifer had shoved him, it had hurt. Not just physically, but emotionally too.

Edea saw the concern on Zell's face. She'd heard that Seifer had gotten friendly again with Zell, Irvine and Selphie. She was glad that her son had friends who could be there for him, ease him through the shock and pain.

"What happened.....?" Zell asked, looking at both Cid and Edea. What could they have said to Seifer to make him flip out like that?

Husband and wife looked at each other. "It's up to Seifer to tell you if he wants," Edea said at length. Cid wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and the look on their face was that of such sadness. What was going on here?

"There you are, Zell!" Selphie exclaimed, jogging up to them. "Oh... Matron. Headmaster." She pursed her lips. She would have to modify her questions about Seifer with their presence. "What happened? Seifer just took off in his truck. He looked pretty upset."

"He _is _upset," Edea said. "With good reason."

Zell and Selphie looked at each other, and with each passing moment, Zell just felt worse. But, he was also confused. What had made Seifer just storm off like that?

"Um... here you guys are." Rinoa came into the room, looking around at all the paintings Diablos's human form had used to decorate the hall. "Squall and Quistis want to have a briefing. But.... where did Seifer go?"

"Let him be," Edea murmured quietly, grasping Cid's hands like they were life rafts.

"Laguna is also here," Rinoa pointed out, coming closer. She was worrying her hands in front of her white sweater, eyes wide. She was nervous because something was tingling her extremities, something was stirring the powers that she so tried to conceal and control. Did Edea feel it, too?

"Laguna....?" Edea echoed, feeling like she'd taken a blow to the solar plexus. She was at such a fragile emotional place that Edea didn't know what she would do when she saw Laguna. Would she run into his arms, wanting comfort? She looked over at Cid, hoping that looking at her husband would rid her of these desires to be holding Laguna's hands instead.

"Matron....?" Rinoa asked quietly, looking carefully at Zell and Selphie. Both could see that something was bothering her. But, it was only secondary to Zell. He was thinking about the anger in Seifer's eyes and the tremor in his voice. Rinoa may not have grown up at the Orphanage, but she still thought of Edea as her 'Matron', too.

"Come on," Selphie said quietly, putting an arm around Zell's muscular shoulders. "We should probably get ready for the briefing." She and the blonde man walked silently up the hallways. "How long do you think it will be until Diablos comes back here?"

Zell shrugged, crossing his arms. "Dunno."

"What happened?" She whispered, leaning close to him.

"I don't know," Zell answered, just as quietly. "Something Edea said... it... spooked him. And, I said something retarded, and he got mad at me and stormed off." He looked at his shoes. "He told me to fuck myself."

"Edea looked troubled, too...." Selphie trailed off. "So did Rinoa. I wonder what's going on...." She said it with blank confusion, but her mind was already starting to work, to find common threads and possibilities. They came to a large dining room, where Squall and the others had set up shop. Quistis was doing the leading, Squall off alone in a corner, looking very thoughtful. He was thinking of what Diablos had whispered in his ear. What had Diablos seen in Squall's future....? The idea bothered him greatly.

Laguna noticed Zell and Selphie come in, and looked around hopefully. "Where's Edea?" He asked.

"Talking with Rinoa," Selphie answered. "She's okay."

Laguna nodded, feeling relieved. He hated the idea of Edea in this house suffering. He'd seen Seifer storm out and peel away in his truck as if he were running from the scene of a crime. And, he knew exactly why. Seifer hadn't taken the news that Cid and Edea were his parents very well. Laguna knew that pain. Though Squall hadn't gotten outwardly angry after hearing that Laguna was his father, and had always been alive, Laguna had been able to see Squall's eyes ice up, and him become very closed and remote. Even now, he wasn't quite thawed out.

"Edea..." Rinoa began as they walked to the meeting. "Did you have a...." She stroked a hand over her chest, feeling like she had a bad case of heartburn. "_Feeling_ earlier?"

"....Yes." Edea frowned. "You felt it, then."

"What was it?" Rinoa asked with worry, stopping so people in the dining room wouldn't be able to overhear them. "It felt like.... _her._"

"I honestly don't know," Edea whispered. Cid went on ahead, leaving the two Sorceresses alone. "It flared when I touched Seifer's arm. He felt it, too."

Rinoa gasped. "Does that mean he's a..."

"No," Edea interrupted. "He doesn't have the magic gifts. But.... he was deeply touched by Ultimecia's magic, just as we were."

"But, we've been in contact hundreds of times since Time Compression. I don't understand..."

"I don't either."

"So, that's why Seifer left in such a rush...."

Edea knew there was much more to it than a ghost of Ultimecia's magic in the air, but she didn't say anything. It just seemed to be a further rape of Seifer's feelings to go telling everyone the truth. If he wanted to tell them, he would be the one to do it.

They all circled around the dining room table, except for Squall, who stayed in one corner, and Zell who hovered in another. He just wanted to leave and find Seifer. Quistis went over what they knew already, and the fact that Laguna had assigned a team from Esthar to help work on the magical study. The team, led by Dr. Odine, would be in Timber in the morning.

"Isn't this place dangerous?" Irvine asked, reaching out for Selphie's hand as she sat next to him. "What if Diablos comes back? I don't think he'll be happy to see us again."

"I can tell from my powers that some sort of spell is erected around this manor," Edea murmured, mind still wandering to Seifer. "It's a recent casting, meaning after the fight. I believe it is a warding spell. Perhaps it is to keep the GF out?"

"Who would have cast it, though?"

She shrugged, unsure. "It feels like an archaic spell... just like Diablos's magic felt to me before I knew what he really was."

"So...." Quistis trailed off, cocking her head and yawning. The battle had taken it out of all of them. "Are you saying a GF cast the spell? But, if that's the case, why would a Guardian Force cast a spell to keep other Guardian Forces out?"

"Maybe it was Tiamat," Zell offered sulkily. "After all, she helped us in the fight."

"And, of course Seifer is nowhere to be found..." Squall muttered under his breath.

"Hey, lay off!" Zell shouted angrily. He saw Squall stare at him as if he'd grown a new head, and he just sighed. "Are we done here? We were all just in a nasty battle, and I'm sure we want to heal."

"Ummmm..." Quistis nodded. They were all thinking it, but it wasn't like Zell to be so curt. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. We will just have to be exceedingly careful if we have to leave this manor."

"We should do a search of it," Selphie pointed out. "I'm sure there are all sorts of crazy secret passageways and such."

"But, maybe the runes won't last very long..." Rinoa's voice trailed off as Zell left the room. He just couldn't stand still in that room anymore, not when all he could think about was Seifer.

Seifer's hands were shaking around the wheel as he drove too fast down the highway. The fact that one of his glasses lenses was shattered made driving dangerous to him, but he didn't dare stop. He just wanted to get away from that house, from the city. From everything. But... did he have the strength in him to run from his past _again_?

"It's dangerous to leave the manor."

Seifer wasn't surprised at the voice. He'd felt Tiamat's energy in the air. She magically appeared in the passenger seat beside him, her voice sounding a little strained. She was in her human form of Thuban Alwaid, and her skin looked pale and clammy. No, it wasn't surprise at seeing Tiamat appear out of thin air that was making Seifer drive recklessly. It was that fear of what he still felt slithering over his skin. Like Ultimecia's hands were stroking him.

"I can't stay there," he hissed.

"The runes I set up around Daeva's manor will only hold out for a very short time. After all..." She trailed off, looking out the window as Timber vanished behind them, the forests stretching out, their dark shadows like fingers reaching out over everything. "He is a far stronger Avatar than I."

"Your runes can't protect me from my own mother." Seifer spat the words out, momentarily blinded by memory. Memory of what he'd done for Ultimecia. How he'd given Rinoa to Adel, how so many people were slaughtered by the Galbadian Army under his control. His tires squealed as he pulled off to the side of the road, knowing he would crash his truck if he kept driving. He let out a long, heavy sigh and bowed forward. Seifer pressed his forehead against the steering wheel and let out a yell of frustration through clenched teeth.

"I know what you're thinking of," Thuban murmured. She was dressed far more casually than she had been before. In her old garb, it was to draw attention to the humans that she was something more than what their eyes saw her as. Now, she was wearing a pink terrycloth sweat suit with black and white racer stripes on the legs and arms. Her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail. "Of what the Sorceress Edea told you."

Seifer didn't answer, keeping his eyes closed. As if slamming them shut would change what had happened.

"I can see in your mind, because of our junctioned connection, and yet I do not know how you feel," Guardian Force said to human master. "Because you yourself don't know how you feel."

"What should I feel?" Seifer asked bitterly, pulling onto the highway again. He just wanted to go home. It was a place that had given him so much comfort in the past when he'd felt Ultimecia creeping in on him. Back then, it had always been in a figurative sense, never like this current literal sense. He drove in tense silence, thinking of so many things. Thinking about this feeling... like Ultimecia was still alive. Thinking about the fact that Edea and Cid were really his parents, that they'd lied to him all this time. Thinking of why Diablos would have wanted him dead, thinking of how he'd shouted at Zell. How Zell had said he was acting like the 'old Seifer'. By the time Seifer pulled into his driveway, he was shaking all over. What if the 'old Seifer' indeed came back? Seifer had spent an entire decade trying to assimilate the old Seifer. Could he come back in a simple touch from Edea? No... his mother. _My mother._

He asked himself again and again what he should feel. Should he be happy that he knew who his parents were, and that they were Cid and Edea, two very good people? Or, should he be horrified that they'd lied to him, almost as if he was their dirty little secret. After all, he would have been safe from Adel. She was stuck in space. After all, nobody had known that he was their child when Adel came back, and he'd still been put in danger. And, then there was the problem with feeling Ultimecia. That was a nightmare that Seifer didn't want to repeat. Never again.

He collapsed on his couch, Thuban sitting in an armchair, looking pale and weak. But, she closed her eyes and started to try and cast a temporary spell around her Master's house. She was concerned for him, but also for herself. She knew her father didn't make idle threats, and that standing against him and his precious Dark Messenger wasn't going to go over well, even among neutral members of the Ancient Court like Leviathan or Ifrit. Tiamat also knew that Shiva would be against her because her Master was Odin's killer. Perhaps Alexander would be on her side because his hatred for Diablos was stronger than even Tiamat's herself. But, there was also the issue that she'd gone against her own kind in favour of humans. But, she couldn't have just stood back and let Diablos murder them. And, even if Etanin decided to do nothing about it, that didn't mean Diablos would listen. He always did whatever he pleased, others be damned. She watched with her black dragon's eyes in human sockets as Seifer fell into a fitful sleep. She may have been awake, but she was just as restless. After all, her fate could be just as dire as his.

__

The pain was intense, and Diablos fought with tooth and nail against those who would touch him, even those who were trying to aid him. With each breath, he cursed the daughter of Bahamut, cursed Tiamat to the bowels of the underworld. He fell in and out of consciousness, seeing brief flashes of wings. Golden and opalesque, the wings of Siren, loyally by his bedside, singing a song that he'd known as a human child. A song sung in the ancient language of faeries. It was a song his mother had sung to him. The other feathers were fiery red with gold gilding. The feathers of Phoenix and her healing tears. Her soothing incantations mingled with Siren's enchanting voice, also mingling with the dark song his Blackballers had sung to him before he'd fucked them over and stole his power back from them. He also saw human eyes, knowing they were Leviathan's. After all, Manannan's serpent form could only exist in the sea, and even if he was in a dimension where all other Summons were in their true form, he would often go in human form, for this human form was also one of his godly ones. He'd been worshipped as a human child for ages before Leviathan had ever existed.

After some painful time that was hard to gauge, Diablos felt his consciousness begin to return to him. He smelled familiar scents, and felt familiar powers. He was in his own kingdom, existent in some other layer of time. His large demon form was nestled among velvet and satin pillows and a gauzy red curtain like a waterfall of blood. His clawed hand went down his torso, feeling discomfort from where that human had stabbed right through him. Only Phoenix's strength as a healer had spared his life. He'd been too confident. Through the gauzy curtain, he saw figures. The large bulk of his beloved King in true form, curled up on the floor with majesty and elegance. There was the small form of a human child beside him, and they were speaking in low tones to each other. There were also other voices that he recognized. The Ancient Court.

"She's helping that murderer!" Shiva exclaimed angrily, the ground frozen where her feet touched it. She paced around, glaring at her King.

"It is human nature to kill," Alexander pointed out. When Diablos heard that voice, his body went rigid, his wings frozen and tail swishing angrily. How dare Alexander come to his realm! "It is a sin, a stain, that only their faith in goodness will destroy."

"Your definition of piety isn't an issue right now," Bahamut pointed out. "Neither is anything to do with those humans. We are discussing Diablos and Tiamat."

"No matter what we say, you will just do as you please anyway," Alexander pointed out, in his true form, a great hulking machine. "We all know you're... biased."

Bahamut let out a low, angry growl. "I'd be careful, Alexander."

"At least he's asking our opinions," Leviathan pointed out. He was sitting within the curl of Bahamut's tail. "No matter how idiotic they are."

There was an angry noise made of gears grinding together, but Alexander's voice remained silent in his mechanical body.

Diablos sat among his pillowed bed, curled up with knees raised up to his chest, hands on knees and chin on hands. His wings enveloped around him and he cocked his head with interest.

"Diablos knows the errors of dabbling too much in the human world, though he may not see the whole picture," the dragon said lowly. "Tonight could have ended him, I hope he realizes that." Though Diablos made no noise, and kept his powers undetectable, the demon was well aware that Bahamut knew he was awake and listening. "I will give Diablos a very stern warning..."

Alexander made a mocking noise, which caused smoke to curl out of the King's nostrils, and for him to make a very angry noise that silenced the holy machine.

"But, there is the larger issue of Tiamat."

"This defiance cannot stand," Ifrit pointed out.

"No," Bahamut agreed. "It cannot. However, she has erected runes around herself to prevent an angry counterattack. But, her powers lessen, and she was never as strong as we are."

"I know what you would do," Shiva said. "But, this slight against us does not warrant death, My Lord."

"Expulsion from the Ancient Court should teach Tiamat her place," the King murmured.

"You would expel your own daughter?" Shiva asked sadly.

"As far as I know, the King has no daughter," Diablos finally said, slinking out from behind his curtains. He gave a devilish, toothy smile to Alexander, sitting elegantly on the floor. His body was still in agony, but the pleased expression on his face didn't give that away.

"We are adjourned here," Bahamut said in a dismissive tone. "Remember, we as a Court have done enough damage in the human world for now. We will keep our hands out as much as possible."

Shiva and Diablos both frowned, but what could do they do when Bahamut was so forceful in that one statement? All Summons left the vast room, save Bahamut.

"Oh, you stayed." Diablos's wings spread out wide from his back as he floated across the room to where the dragon was still curled up. "I'm pleased."

"You should be dead. Phoenix almost couldn't save you."

"I always find a way," the demon pointed out, teeth flashing. He wrapped his long, muscular arms around Bahamut's great neck, nuzzling against his King, wings flapping with his pleasure.

"I hope you know that I'll be watching you very carefully now."

Diablos laughed darkly, but stopped when Bahamut's thick tail wrapped tightly around his throat. Coupled with his injury and the strength of Bahamut's tail, Diablos gasped in pain.

"I'm not kidding, Berith. Manannan is watching Tiamat for me, but you won't have so much luck. I may love you most, but you also anger me most."

"My Lord..." Diablos gasped out, unable to breathe. When he was about to pass out, his body exploded into a cloud of bats, flying across the room and reforming into Diablos's demon body. He coughed and gasped, clawed hand holding his throat.

"I warned you about meddling in the human world. You are going to be on a very short leash, Lord of Darkness. Don't let it choke you." Bahamut left in the blink of an eye, with Diablos sputtering on the floor of his room.

He let out a long, shaky breath as he contained himself. His wings flapped, and though he wanted to go against Bahamut's words, he knew he better not. Diablos's body vanished into a black cloud of flapping bat wings and he reappeared on a city street in Timber, wearing a long wool coat with thick fur lining. The night was very cold, and because of his injury, Daeva was even colder. His long and silken hair flapped around him in the wind as he walked. Bahamut's warnings were playing over and over in his mind, but the King hadn't said anything about going in among humans. After all, Daeva was merely observing, not meddling. Observing his handiwork. This area of downtown Timber was fairly quiet, but as the demon in disguise walked, things got a little more... _active_. Blackballers were rioting, and the air of the areas closer to Bridgeport Square were filled with screams and shouts and the sound of sirens and random gunshots. Diablos walked among angry looters who were smashing windows of Bridgeport businesses without being bothered, as if they didn't see him, though he was there plain as day. Even the police paid him no attention. There were also a few Galbadian Army vehicles, and would probably be more by sunrise.

Daeva kept walking, bundling his expensive coat closer to his body. He left Bridgeport, but there were still riots going on in the streets. He made his way to his manor in Westphal. Even in human form, the runs that Tiamat had erected made him hesitate about getting closer. His beautiful house... now, those SeeD were holed up in there like rats. Daeva could feel that Nha'zora and Ulurha were still alive, but what about Zhasta? She was more than dead. It was a great loss, for she'd been a loyal minion. He tried to get closer, but the spell just made it too painful. He groaned, palm pressed to his torso.

"You shouldn't strain yourself," Manannan's youthful voice pointed out with ageless maturity as he appeared on the sidewalk beside Daeva. "Our King may be mad at you, but he does not wish you dead."

"What do you know of it?"

Manannan gave Daeva a withering look. "Oh, please."

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Daeva muttered sulkily, a bat appearing on his finger, perching like a song bird. He stroked the top of the bat's furry, rather cute head, and it stayed, for it was a part of his body. This was actually a nervous gesture on the demon's part, the same as any human would shuffle their feet or play with their hair.

"Keeping an eye on... _things._"

"On me?"

"Don't be so egotistical," Manannan said, crossing his arms. Daeva just rolled his eyes. "Keeping an eye on Tiamat."

"Oh." That single syllable snapped from Daeva's pretty mouth. "Is that bitch in my house?"

"It's not really your house anymore."

"Shut it, kiddo."

Manannan smacked Daeva in the chest, and it was like being slapped by an ocean wave. Daeva grunted, his chest wound flaring up painfully. "No, Thuban's not in there. The SeeD you tried to kill are, though."

"Then, why are you here?" Daeva started walking away, hating that he couldn't step closer to his own house because of Etanin's whore of a daughter.

Manannan fell in step with Daeva. "Because I felt you here. You know he's serious this time? He'll think of something worse than the lamp, Daeva." The disguised serpent took one of Daeva's hands in his own small ones, and then they were on a deserted country road in Beech River. "You should go back to your realm," Manannan said in Summon Tongue. "You look quite unwell."

"I should be insulted." Daeva furrowed his brow, still walking hand-in-hand with Manannan. He felt that same wall spell in the area, and his eyes sought out the house that the runes were coming from.

"This is where Tiamat currently is."

"Too cowardly to face us again."

"She isn't protecting herself," Manannan pointed out, sitting on a weather-beaten fence across the road from Seifer Almasy's home, his feet dangling off the ground. Daeva also leaned against the fence. With Manannan sitting and Daeva standing, they were equal in height. "She's protecting her Master. Though I am angry with her for spitting in the face of the Ancient Court, I can't help but admire her loyalty."

"To a _human_," Daeva spat out angrily. "Even before I became Diablos, I hated them."

"You're half 'them', Daeva."

He just snorted, flipping his hair back to silently show off his pointed faerie ears. "To them, I'm nothing more than a dirty, mixed-blood slut." He sneered at the echo of Thuban's insult to him. "To the fey too. Too human for the faeries, not human enough for humans."

"You do realize that it was only hours ago in human time that your injury occurred, yesssss?" The last word came out as a hiss, a snake's voice. "You are not strong enough to go against your so-called enemies now."

"I'm aware." Daeva's black and blue eyes looked to the side, glaring at the child beside him. "You don't need to be so sarcastic."

Manannan winked, leaning close to the demon. "This coming from the master of sarcasm?" He ran small and slender fingers through Daeva's luxurious hair, then kissed his soft and pretty lips. Others in the Ancient Court knew that if Bahamut weren't King, it would be Leviathan on their throne. He could be now, but he never desired the role of Summon Lord. Kingship suited Etanin much better. Daeva could taste the ocean on Manannan's lips, and when the brief kiss ended, Manannan was gone, and Daeva had to spit sea water onto the ground. He knew the ocean god was right, that he was far too weak to pick another fight, but oh how he wanted to. The small brown bat appeared on his index finger again. It was unlike the bats that his demon body transformed into. It was a young bat, far more 'cuddly' than the vampire bats that made up Diablos's real form. Daeva stroked a flawless, pale cheek against the furry animal, and the bats wings wrapped around his jaw, as if hugging him. The humans didn't matter much to Daeva's fickle sense of revenge now. It was his desire to destroy Tiamat that now filled him with a sense of vengeance that bordered on lust...

Zell drove down Obel Lake Road, the gravel slick because of rain that had been falling while they'd been fighting for their lives within Daeva's mansion. He saw a person standing on the side of the road, and wondered if they'd gotten washed out or stranded, but he slammed on the brakes when he saw long black hair whipping behind the man like a cape. That face.... _Diablos._ Zell had stopped the car so violently that if he weren't wearing his seatbelt, he would have gone flying through the windshield. Diablos's human form of Daeva Aka-Manah was still standing there, looking at Zell through the windows of the car. He gave Zell a wink, then blew apart into bats, the sky blackening with them. Then, they were gone. Zell stayed where he was, fists tight around the wheel, not daring to move for a good three minutes. When he thought that Diablos's wrath wasn't going to fall down on him from the skies, he started driving again, relieved when he saw Seifer's truck in the driveway. First, Zell had gone to Archimedes, which had been a task, since the streets of Timber were like a madhouse. Angry Blackballers going through withdrawal were rioting and attacking people and property. Zell knew that Raijin was out there somewhere, joining along in the chaos.

Zell slowly walked up the wood stairs to Seifer's front door, hesitating before he knocked. What could have possibly happened with Matron to freak him out so much? Maybe it was something awful, and maybe Zell's rather cruel comment had been close to the truth.... Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea. Zell didn't just mean coming here now, but he meant getting involved with Seifer in the first place. But, when Seifer opened the door, all Zell's doubts flew away. Seifer looked in bad shape. Not that he didn't look beautiful, because he more than did, but because he was just so shaken.

"Zell..."

Zell sighed, looking at Seifer's face. He was wearing a different pair of glasses than Zell was used to seeing him in, and behind those glasses, he knew that Seifer had been crying. His cheeks were dry, but his eyes were rimmed with red, and his eyes looked very, very green. He'd also changed out of his ruined and bloodstained suit, now wearing a tank top and flannel plaid pyjama pants.

"What are you doing here?" Seifer asked bitterly, looking beyond Zell to the darkness.

"I'm alone. I came to see if you were okay...." He pursed his lips. "Can I come in?"

Seifer hesitated, but then pushed the door open to allow the other man entry. Zell came in, taking off his shoes and coat, seeing a dragon the size of a large dog sitting in the living room. It was Tiamat. She'd been in human form for a while, watching over her distraught Master, but to heal her body more quickly, she needed to stay in her true form, though the size she appeared in didn't matter. She could be the size of a hamster if she wanted. Soon she would have to go to her own realm, but she wanted to watch over Seifer just a little longer, for she felt Diablos's power in the air, and close.

"Did you put up the runes around the manor?" Zell asked the dragon.

She nodded silently.

"I saw Diablos across the street. Or... Daeva, rather."

"Tiamat said she could feel him. Did he try to fight you?" Seifer asked, but his voice was stiff and hoarse.

"No. He just left."

Seifer closed the door, palms still pressed to it, his back rigid. He jerked violently when Zell's hands touched his shoulders. He whirled around, gasping in surprise, eyes looking wild.

"Holy Hyne, Seifer.... what the hell happened between you and Edea."

"I don't want to talk about it," Seifer muttered. Everything had fuzzy edges around it because these were his old glasses. He sat on his couch, slumping over. He didn't see his house here. He only saw the Garden War, only saw Time Compression, only saw the awful gold of Ultimecia's eyes.

"Are you sure?" Zell asked quietly, sitting down beside Seifer, gently putting his hands on the other man's legs.

"You should just go."

"I'm sorry," Zell murmured, not being dismissed that easily. "For... what I said back at Daeva's mansion, you know?"

"What didn't you say that wasn't true?" Seifer asked, voice muffled because his face was pressed against the couch. His whole frame was shivering, body temperature like ice.

"Seifer...." Zell leaned over the other man, collecting him in an embrace. He stroked Seifer's dyed dark hair, spooning him tightly. "Please talk to me. You know, boyfriends are supposed to talk to each other about their problems."

"Boyfriends..." Seifer echoed bitterly. "You don't know what the fuck you're getting yourself into."

"Why do you say that?" Zell asked, lips pressed against the curl of Seifer's ear.

Seifer didn't say anything for a very long time. He didn't want to say it, because it would make it more concrete. And, Zell used all his patience to just stay with Seifer in silence. He could feel Seifer shaking like a leaf. Perhaps seeing Edea was just too much for him mentally. Zell couldn't even pretend to know what Seifer had gone through, so perhaps even just Edea's face was enough to invoke awful memories.

"I felt her," Seifer eventually whispered, Zell's strong hands soothing the tremor out of his muscles.

"You mean Matron...?"

"Ultimecia."

Zell furrowed his brow, thinking he hadn't heard Seifer correctly. "Huh?"

Seifer didn't answer, instead curling his body into a tighter ball.

"What do you mean...?" Zell asked.

"You don't fucking believe me, do you?" Seifer asked angrily, pulling away from Zell and sitting up. He held his head in his hands, his whole body still shuddering from the memory of Ultimecia's magic.

Zell sat up too, folding his hands against his knees. He'd felt Seifer shivering, felt the fear under his skin, saw it in his eyes and heard it in his voice. "I believe you. I just don't understand. Ultimecia's dead."

"I know, but...." Seifer groaned into his hands. "I still felt her. Edea felt it, too."

Zell sighed, wrapping his arms around Seifer, kissing his shoulder. "What do you think it means?"

"I don't know!" Seifer exclaimed angrily. He got up and started pacing. Zell sat patiently, knowing that it wasn't him Seifer was angry at. He felt like shit for getting mad about it earlier. "If I knew, I would know how to stop it...."

"Do you think it's because Edea was the one who absorbed Ultimecia's powers?" Zell asked. Tiamat, who had been curled up on the floor, slowly vanished away, going to her own world.

"I don't know." Seifer's heart was beating fast in his chest. "But, if that were the reason, why didn't she ever feel it before. She was surprised enough that I knew this was the first time she'd felt it."

Zell did have to agree with that. "So, that's why you were so upset. No wonder...." He crossed the room and took Seifer's hands in his own.

The taller man laughed bitterly. "Oh, no.... that's not all. The bitch made sure that wasn't all."

"It's not Matron's fault that you felt Ultimecia...." Zell pointed out, wanting to defend Edea.

"No, nothing is _ever_ Matron's fault," Seifer hissed, pulling his hands out of Zell's grip. "No... of course it's not her fault that her and Cid fucking lied to me for my entire fucking life." He was seething now, pacing in a small, angry circle.

"Seifer.... what....?"

"For my own good," he muttered to himself. "Of all the selfish things..."

"Seifer?" Zell asked sharply. "What are you talking about?"

Seifer then laughed. "You know what's funny, Dincht? That I spent the last ten years lying about my name, not using my real one. But, Seifer Almasy isn't even my real name... I lied about a fake name."

Zell's brow furrowed, and he wondered if Seifer was losing it because of his fears of Ultimecia. "I.... What are you talking about?"

"Edea and Cid wanted to see me, but it had nothing to do with Ultimecia. That was only an added bonus." He stared out the window into the darkness. "They had something important to tell me. She's been wanting to tell me for a long time."

"What?" Zell asked, remembering how Edea had said she'd 'wronged' Seifer. Did it have something to do with what Seifer was talking about, and nothing to do with Ultimecia?

"That this entire time, she knew where my parents were, and didn't tell me."

Zell smiled. "That's wonderful!"

Seifer let out an angry noise. "I would have thought so, too."

The blonde's smile faltered. "Why.... did she tell you something... bad?"

"You could say that."

Zell stood beside Seifer at the window, slowly and tentatively putting an arm around the other man's waist, not saying anything. Seifer was obviously distraught, and Zell just wanted to be there for him.

"You know what she told me?" Seifer whispered, feeling the warmth of Zell's body pressing against his side.

"What?" Zell whispered back, kissing Seifer's shoulder again.

"That she'd been lying to me my entire life. Her and Cid. _They're _my parents, Zell. They fobbed me off as an orphan to protect me from Adel, and then just _forgot_ to tell me the truth."

Zell shook his head, what Seifer had just said sounding completely unbelievable. And yet.... Zell couldn't help but believe him. "Are you... sure?"

Seifer looked at Zell from the corner of his eye. "If you were blind, and you touched your mother, you would know it was her, right?"

"...yeah."

"I just knew. I mean, I always felt close to Matron and Headmaster Cid, but I thought it was just because of her being at the orphanage, and him being a figure of authority at school."

"You _hated _authority at school."

Seifer cracked his first grin of the evening. "Yeah, I did.... But, I still felt a connection with Headmaster Cid."

"So, why didn't they tell you after Laguna sent Adel into space?"

Seifer shrugged. "That's what I'd like to fucking know. They say it's because Adel wasn't really dead. Lame excuse." He grunted, crossing his arms. "How could they have lied to me this entire time?"

"I think we'd all love for Matron to be our real mother."

"You already have a real mother," Seifer pointed out.

"You know what I meant. I meant biologically."

Seifer shook his head sadly. "Mrs. Dincht _is _your real mother, Zell. Blood doesn't necessarily mean anything."

Zell leaned against Seifer, resting his head on the other man's broad shoulder. "So... what are you going to do? You can't hide out forever."

"I made a life out of it for ten years."

"Seifer...."

The taller man slumped down in a club style chair, muscles unable to even hold himself up. Zell sat beside him, which wasn't really possible because the chair was made for one person, so Zell wound up sitting half beside Seifer, and half in his lap.

"What am I gonna do?" Seifer asked rhetorically.

"Do you mean about.... Edea, or about Ultimecia?"

"Fuck... I don't know. And, there's also fucking Diablos to worry about." He sighed heavily. "And, Raijin.... and, Squall."

"Why should you be worried about Squall?" Zell asked, cheek pressed to the nape of Seifer's neck, arms wrapped tightly around him.

Seifer rubbed his forehead, then pressed his cheek against Zell's strong chest. "He's just the icing on the fucking cake."

Zell held him in silence for a while, then said "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Seifer asked dully.

"For saying you were acting like... the old Seifer. I didn't know...."

"I won't hold it against you," he muttered.

"You want me to stay tonight?"

"Won't everyone be looking for you?"

"I don't care."

"What about Squall....?"

"What about him?" Zell interrupted. "I don't care," he repeated. "I only care about.... I only care about how I feel when I'm with you, like right now." Zell craned his neck so that their foreheads were firmly pressed together.

Seifer couldn't help but crack a grin. "That's so corny."

"I know, but it's true."

They held each other silently, Zell's hands moving through Seifer's dyed hair, the golden roots starting to show. He also breathed in the smell of Seifer's skin, the masculinity of it. Seifer's hands firmly stroked over Zell's back, shoulders and arms; the parts of his body that felt definitely male. Zell wondered what it must have felt like for Seifer at that moment. To have felt Ultimecia again, in the same night that a millions year old demon had tried to kill them, and the same night he also found out that Cid and Edea were his real parents. Zell knew that any of the other orphanage gang would have loved to have heard that Cid and Edea were their parents, but would they really... especially if they'd been lied to their entire lives? Seifer must have felt so betrayed, and it didn't make it any better than he saw Edea in a _vastly_ different light than the others did. After all, she wasn't an avatar for Ultimecia's possession to them. They'd never felt Ultimecia like he had. Rinoa had felt her, and even though Rinoa cared about Matron, she was still sometimes wary. Hyne, how Seifer must have felt at that moment... Zell held him tighter, entire body wrapped around Seifer's.

They moved closer, until they were kissing. It was a slow and gentle kiss, Zell's top lip between Seifer's lips, and Seifer's lower lip between Zell's lips. The kiss was very soft and unsure, but then so very sure. The action was a shy one, but the emotions were not. They kissed as if they would crush each other's mouths, as if they were so very delicate. They breathed against each other, tasting that breath, tasting each other. Then, their mouths opened against each other, and they kissed deeply, assaulting each other with lips, tongue and even teeth. Seifer's hands kept stroking over Zell's body as his breath was taken away by Zell's mouth, as his mouth was filled by Zell's tongue. Zell's hands worked down Seifer's broad chest, until he was squeezing the other man's genitals through his pants. Seifer let out a grunt, then a soft gasp as Zell's hand expertly massaged him. Oh God, he craved this, yearned for it. His hands started to work up under Zell's shirt as Zell's hand pushed into his pants.

When Zell's fist closed around Seifer's growing erection, he grunted louder than Seifer even did. Zell had been celibate for so long that even touching another man, playing with him was a delightful shock to his senses. Zell was pressing himself so tightly to Seifer, it was as if he was trying to crawl inside the other man. He started jerking Seifer off, smiling against Seifer's mouth and around his tongue. But, that smile turned into a frown when Seifer pulled away, pushing on Zell's strong chest.

"I...." Seifer got up and adjusted his pants, breath shaky. "I don't really feel like it." He paced the room.

"Seifer...."

"So, if you came here looking for a quick lay, you're out of luck."

Zell snorted out angrily, his shirt all askew. "I didn't come here for that, and you know it. I came here to be here for you, because I was fucking worried about you. So, accept the company, and stop acting like an ass."

Seifer's broad shoulders slumped. He opened his mouth to apologize, but just closed it again. He finally said "you're right."

"Even if we never have sex, I'd still be right here," Zell murmured, standing up. They enveloped each other in a hug. "Though, I mean... it would be _nice._"

"It's not that I don't want to...." He trailed off, stroking his forehead again. Seifer had such a killer headache starting.

"It's understandable, especially with all that happened tonight."

"Fuck...." Seifer slowly walked across the room, going out into the hall. "What am I going to do?" He started to climb the stairs with the weariness of a person who hadn't slept for days, and only wanted to see their bed. "Everything was fucking starting to go right for me, and then _this_ happens."

Zell followed Seifer upstairs, hearing the anger in the other man's voice. Sure, Seifer was feeling pretty helpless right now, but he was getting angry about it rather than hating himself. It was a typical Seifer Almasy reaction, and it comforted Zell. If Seifer was still acting like himself, then he wasn't on the verge of a breakdown. At least, not yet. Perhaps when the gravity of all the combined situations really hit him, that would be different. How would Seifer react when he really had time to think on the fact that he'd felt the woman of his nightmares as if she'd been the very room with him? Zell watched as Seifer collapsed on his bed, looking like he just wanted to pass out and forget about the world and all the things it had heaped on his shoulders in a very short amount of time.

The blonde kneeled on the mattress, taking off Seifer's socks for him. Seifer grunted, rubbing his chin. "Fuck, that's starting to hurt."

"Yeah... I know I'll be sore in the morning."

"What if there's an emergency?" Seifer asked distantly. Earlier, he'd drank some homemade potions to help him sleep, because he'd known that he wouldn't get a wink of natural sleep. He'd be too plagued by nightmares of Ultimecia, and thoughts of all the times in his life when Edea could have told him the truth, but hadn't. Now, the draught was starting to kick in.

"Selphie will have figured out where I am," Zell murmured, taking off the rest of Seifer's clothes for him, but it was without a totally sexual air. He also took off his own clothes, pressing his nude body against Seifer's. "Besides, you're more important to me right now."

"Hmmmm..." Seifer curled his long body into a ball, Zell holding him so completely. "I've always wanted to be... important to somebody."

Zell gently kissed Seifer's mouth, watching him for a while as he fell asleep. Zell didn't know how to relate to Seifer's problems, because he simply couldn't put himself in that emotional position. But, he did know how he felt about being on Diablos's hit list. He looked out to the starry sky and the large moon, wondering if Daeva was still out there somewhere... watching and waiting to make his next move, with the patience only fathomless ages of existence could bring. But, he tried not to think of that. He tried to think of Seifer laying next to him, and that alone. He wasn't very successful, but it was still a slice of heaven in the recent, hellish events.

"Rinoa said you wanted me?" Laguna asked as he came into the study that Cid and Edea were sitting in. Rinoa was also walking with him, and only Edea got the double meaning of his words. She tried not to look at him, but still felt the heat rise to her cheeks, which made her feel more ashamed than she already did.

"Yes," Cid said quietly. "Rinoa also knows what this is about."

Laguna saw the seriousness on Cid's face, and pushed all sexual thoughts of Edea out of his head. "What's going on, guys?"

"Last night, something disturbing happened. Cid and I were talking to Seifer..." She trailed off, knowing that Laguna knew what they were discussing with him. "And, when I touched him, I felt power flare.... It was Ultimecia's power."

Laguna cocked his head, looking befuddled. "Say what?"

"I know it sounds strange...."

"You actually said Ultimecia....?" He flipped his hair over his shoulder. "Seriously?"

"I felt it too," Rinoa pointed out quietly.

"What.....?"

"We don't know, Laguna. I shouldn't feel Ultimecia, because her powers are _my_ powers. She doesn't exist as a Sorceress anymore. Her powers are my powers, not hers anymore."

"And, I don't even have her powers," Rinoa mentioned. "Seifer isn't a Sorcerer at all...."

Laguna crossed his arms, looking over his shoulder when Squall came in the room. Laguna had the feeling that while Squall hadn't been the room, he still had heard everything. He was sneaky like that sometimes. "Well... what does that have to do with me?"

"You can ask Odine to look into it. I know he came in your Esthar party," Edea said.

"You think he'd be able to figure it out?" The President asked with some bitterness. It was no secret that he disliked the strange doctor.

"He's a magical genius," Cid pointed out. "Maybe he's heard of something like this before."

"But, why didn't this ever happen when Rinoa and I have come in contact?" Edea asked. "Why with Seifer?"

"Maybe because he's....." Cid trailed off, looking at the others in the room. He was going to say because Seifer was blood relation to Edea, but it wasn't right to just blurt that out without Seifer here.

"He's what?" Squall asked. He was leaning against the back wall, disappearing into the background, but keeping his eyes and ears open.

"He... was my Knight," Edea finally answered. That wasn't what Cid had been thinking of, but it was also a plausible option.

"Where is he, anyway?" Rinoa asked. "He hasn't come back. Why....?"

"Seifer suffered greatly at her hands," Edea said quietly, looking at her own hands. She wasn't just speaking of Ultimecia, but also of herself. "No wonder he reacted badly."

Squall briefly wondered if that was all, sensing there was more to it than that. But, what he was more mentally concerned about what the fact that Zell had also left Diablos's mansion, and that he still wasn't back yet. Had he gone after Seifer....? It still disturbed Squall that Zell and Seifer seemed so friendly with each other. He just didn't _understand._ He brought his concentration back to the room, and saw that Laguna was speaking. "Well, I'll ask Odine. I'm sure he'll agree, since it's a chance for him to monkey around with something that sounds nefarious."

"It would help if Seifer were here to describe exactly what he felt. Yeah, I can understand him getting upset.... but...not _that_ upset," Rinoa mused, tucking some hair behind her ears. "Especially how he yelled at you, Matron. It wasn't your fault."

Edea sighed deeply, wishing she could go back in time, like Ultimecia herself, and change events. Edea would have told Seifer the truth as soon as Adel had been out of the picture, up in space. She would have cherished each moment with her only child. She had watched him fall asleep every night, had watched him play and grow up, but she wished she had told him the truth so she hadn't been able to see the pain that was in his eyes tonight. She would have been able to hear him call her Mommy, and things would have been _so _different. And yet, she couldn't change the past. She couldn't change how Seifer must have hated her and Cid at that moment. She instinctively reached out and took his hand, squeezing it.

Squall left the room silently, arms crossed. He walked down the halls, lost in his own head. But, he knew exactly where he was going. In search of Selphie. And, he found her. She was in the hall with Irvine, looking at the paintings Diablos, in human form, had hung.

"Hey Squall," Selphie greeted, looking up at a large landscape painting. This landscape didn't exist in their world, but it was a heavy idea that it probably had existed at some time. "What's up?"

"I want you two to do something."

"Like?" Selphie asked, fixing her full attention on Squall. Her body was starting to feel sore from all the fighting, but she'd at least bathed and changed into some clothes that had been left behind by Daeva's demonic staff. She was wearing a simple cut suit, but it was in a pale pink, so looked very bold. It was also low-cut, and meant to be worn without a shirt, so she was flashing cleavage. Irvine had also changed, wearing a suit. Though they were so different in appearance, Diablos's human form was actually the same size as Irvine, even a little broader across the shoulders, which was a total contrast to his femme face.

"I need you to find Seifer and Zell. This is your department, Selphie. I need you to bring them both back here."

Selphie nodded distantly. Squall's wording denoted that he knew Seifer and Zell were together, but in what capacity... Selphie was sure he was in the dark on that one. But, Selphie very well knew that Zell and Seifer were together, and very possibly _together._ But, what she didn't know was why Seifer had stormed off like that.

"Sure, but why?" Irvine asked.

"Because there is an issue arising. Edea, Rinoa and Seifer all felt a flare of Ultimecia's powers, and Edea asked Laguna for help. He's going to get Odine to look into it. After all, this could be a very serious matter." Squall looked up at the paintings. "It's like him to storm off when he's needed elsewhere."

Selphie didn't comment, but she was sure Squall wasn't seeing the whole picture. "I'll get right on it," she said, giving Squall a SeeD salute, watching as he left, arms still crossed.

"So, what now?" Irvine asked. He was also sure that Zell had gone after Seifer to comfort him in the same way Irvine would have comforted Selphie if she were distressed.

"Well... I told Squall that we would find them, and we will. It's just...." She looked at Irvine. "I'm sure I know what they're doing."

Irvine rolled his eyes. "You aren't hiding your happiness over the possibility of walking in on something dirty, my dear."

She laughed, but the bright smile wilted. "We'll have to leave the mansion. That could be a problem."

"So, do you think they went to the store, or that Seifer took off out of town?"

"He definitely went home. It's his comfort spot, and it's also far away from the city."

"We better go," Irvine said grimly. "Especially if Laguna and Dr. Odine are getting involved."

"Right." Selphie stretched her arms over her head as they walked towards the front foyer. "It will probably be a mess out there."

Irvine pulled out his gun as they slowly opened the front doors, almost expecting a face full of bats. But, there was nothing but cool night air. That, and the distant sounds of sirens. They walked up the courtyard path, to one of the cars that were rented on SeeD money. Irvine took point as Selphie got behind the wheel. He jumped quickly into the car as she sped out of the driveway, tires squealing. He held the gun tightly in his lap as they drove quickly through Timber's streets, heading out towards Beech River and the Obel Lake areas. "My God..." Selphie trailed off as they drove through the city. It was a sad sight. There were riots still going on, and everything just looked so hellish and pathetic, really. Blackballers were screaming, shouting, shuffling around and crying. They were falling apart without their beloved 'master' to guide them.

"Diablos fucked over so many people," Irvine commented sadly. "And, it was just a game to him. A frigging game." As they started to go towards the highway, Selphie noticed that the sun was rising. Sunrises were normally so beautiful, but this one looked uninviting. It was shedding light on an awful scene. "Sefie.... what do you think made Seifer take off like that, and like... flip out on Matron?"

"Dunno," she muttered. "At least, I don't know _yet._"

"What if it's something horrible?"

Selphie pursed her lips, driving silently. "I hope it isn't."

"But, what if it is?" Irvine insisted.

"I hope it isn't...." she repeated, sounding less sure than she had just a moment ago. She couldn't help but wonder if this was something that Ultimecia had planned since before her death. That, if by chance she'd met her ugly end, this could be a last 'fuck you' to her killers, to her little puppet, believing he was a Knight. Seifer had changed his name and appearance to get away from all that ugliness, and now... it was coming back full-force, like a shotgun blast to the face. But, Selphie knew that no matter what, Zell would be there for Seifer, and she knew she would be too.

Zell hadn't gotten much sleep at all. It was a beautiful feeling to lay next to Seifer again, but his mind was running over all the things that Seifer had told him. He was also watching over the other man, who was being plagued with nightmares. Though he'd taken that sleeping draught, he still tossed and turned, sweating and whimpering quietly in his sleep. All Zell could do was hold him tight and hope that it would get better in the morning. The morning that was now.

Zell spent some time watching the light begin to creep in the room with the sunrise. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Seifer woke with a start, bolting upright as if he'd been electrically shocked. Seifer was gasping and panting, blanket sticking to his sweaty flesh.

"It's okay..." Zell gently soothed, putting his hand on Seifer's back.

The taller man gasped loudly, scooting across the bed. He relaxed slightly when he saw it was Zell, but only slightly.

"It's morning," Zell told him.

He was still panting loudly, and rubbed his face. "Fuck," Seifer groaned into his hands.

"It was only a nightmare."

"Yeah.... it'd be nice if that were true." Seifer's whole body was shaking, and he balled the blanket in his fists.

Zell crawled across the bed, putting his hands on Seifer's legs. "I wish I could say something to make you feel better."

"Yeah, well... you can't." Seifer stood up and started pacing the room angrily. Yes, angry. He'd been shell-shocked last night, but now that his shock had worn off, he was to a more familiar emotional place. That of anger. How dare Edea keep this from him all this time. How dare Cid keep it from him! How many times had Seifer been berated privately in Headmaster Cid's office? Too many to count. And, each of those times, Cid could have told him the truth so easily. Didn't they think that Seifer would have wanted to know about his parents? Didn't they think it was something that he'd always wondered about, even if he hadn't been able to remember them because of GF use? And, what... did Cid and Edea think that Seifer would just welcome them with open arms now, after thirty years of thinking his parents dead in the Sorceress War, or thinking that they'd just abandoned him?!

Zell watched as Seifer paced and brooded. He'd been rather helpless last night, but now he looked more familiar. Seifer may have changed his life in the ten years since Time Compression, but he still had his indignant anger. As Zell also watched, he couldn't help but stare at Seifer's body, at how Seifer walked, completely comfortable in his nudity. Even though this _really_ wasn't the time, Zell couldn't help where his eyes gravitated to on Seifer's body. After all, he was still a man, and he was also a man who had been starved for sex and companionship for a long time. Seifer then ran his hands down his chest in a way that made Zell's penis twitch. "Ugh... I need a shower."

"What are you going to do?" Zell asked, wrestling to make his voice sound neutral and calm, not shaky and lust-filled, which is how the rest of him felt.

"Take a shower," Seifer muttered sarcastically, with a roll of his peridot eyes.

"No, I mean..." Zell gave an exasperated sigh as Seifer went down the hall to the bathroom. "You know what I mean, Seifer."

"I dunno," he whispered, starting the shower up. He sat on the edge of the tub, testing the water temperature with his hand. "It would have been better if they'd just kept their mouths shut."

Zell's brow furrowed. "Seifer... you can't really mean that...."

"Why can't I, Chicken-Wuss."

Zell frowned deeply. "You might be mad now, but they're still your parents. And, not only that... but these are two people who you have a connection with. You were Edea's Knight, you were Cid's student for years."

"Her Knight?" Seifer barked bitterly. "Her Knight? I was never her 'Knight'. I bastardized that word. I was her puppet. I was someone that she could use to get what she wants. I didn't protect anybody. She didn't need a Knight... she just wanted someone to do her dirty work."

"That was Ultimecia, not Matron."

"They were the same person to me. And Cid.... He never let me forget that I was the rotten of the two of us." He snorted angrily, stepping under the shower.

Zell cocked his head, knowing that 'the two of us' meant Seifer and Squall. Zell got under the shower stream with Seifer, the other man not really seeming to notice or care.

"You figure a father would be proud of his son," Seifer hissed, angrily running his hands through wet hair. "Even if it was a secret son. But, no.... he always gave me such a fucking hard time, making me feel like shit compared to everyone's precious little Squall, the Garden darling, the one who could do no wrong, whose destiny it was to be the best in the world, even though he didn't give a shit. I was the one who trained every fucking day. I was the one who spent my entire life studying everything about the gunblade. Squall was the one who just happened to pick it up and be good with it. I was the better of us, and nobody noticed. Nobody gave a shit. Especially not Cid. All he cared about was Squall, that fucking prick." Seifer let out a shaky breath. "He probably wished Squall was his son all along, but instead was stuck with the failure. Me."

Zell didn't know what to say. He thought that Seifer was overreacting a little bit, but there was that truth to his words. It was true that Squall had always been a favourite of Garden administration, and that Seifer was the problem student. It wasn't true that students at Garden had thought he was a failure, though. They'd all been rather afraid of his skills, and his temper. Out of the two, Squall had actually been the more approachable. He was silent, but at least he wouldn't bite your head off if you tried to talk to him. Seifer hadn't made himself very popular, but he had been greatly respected for his intelligence and proficiency with a gunblade. Later, Quistis had told Zell that if Seifer had only applied himself to the battlefield and to obeying school rules, Squall would have been no comparison to him. But, thinking on what Seifer had just ranted, Zell saw why the taller man had made himself the bullying bastard that he was. The anger in his words was so thick, but there was also sadness there. How must he have felt as an impressionable child to always be compared to Squall, always be on the short end of that stick?

Since Zell didn't know what to say, he just wrapped his arms around Seifer's wet body, holding him tightly. He didn't think Seifer wanted to hear any pity or sympathy from him, anyway.

"Would you rather me be Squall?" Seifer asked out of the blue, staring at the shower fixtures, Zell's hands feeling so good stroking up and down his back. "And, are you and Cid just settling for me?"

"Stop it," Zell said, his own voice warming with anger. "You have every right to be bitter, Hyne knows. But, it's not like you to fucking fish for compliments. You _know _I don't want to be here because I can't be with Squall."

"Maybe I just want to hear it..."

"You don't need to hear it," Zell said. "You already know. Our relationship may be... _surprising_, but you still know."

Seifer looked down at the other man. "You're a lot smarter than people give you credit for, Chicken-Wuss."

Zell frowned and lightly stomped on Seifer's foot. "Ow!" Seifer exclaimed, but it was with a small yet genuine smile on his face. Their lips then met in a long kiss, one that felt infinitely lighter than the ones they'd shared last night. Last night, sex had been the furthest thing from Seifer's mind, and though ugly thoughts of Ultimecia, and Cid and Edea's deception, were still on his mind, it didn't make him forget the desire that had been growing in him for Zell almost since the moment they'd first seen each other again. His life may have been falling apart, but he was still a man, which meant he was governed by his dick at the most inopportune times. But, it wasn't only a desire for sex that was making him feel light-headed. It was a desire for Zell. It was a desire for the way Zell made him feel. _Loved._ Seifer's hands stroked all over the lines of Zell's fit body, his skin slick with water. Seifer was still thinking of Ultimecia, but he wanted to forget in Zell's arms, as if last night had never happened, just for a little while.... just for a little while.

Zell's arms wrapped around Seifer's broad shoulders, their kiss fuelled by the motion of their tongues. The friction of Seifer's wet skin against his own would have made Zell hard if his penis wasn't already fully and almost painfully erect. Zell knew that Seifer's full desire for sex may have not been for Zell's body alone, but also as a way to forget for a while, or as some comfort. And, Zell was okay with that. More than okay with it. He was okay with it because he also wanted that comfort. Last night wasn't nearly as bad for him as it was for Seifer, but he had almost died at Diablos's hands, and it made him put things in perspective. His lips moved away from Seifer's, and they were kissing and licking each other's faces. One of Zell's hands went down and started jerking Seifer off, hoping that he wouldn't be asked to stop this time. But, from the way Seifer kissed him as his fist moved up and down, Zell knew that they weren't going to stop. Zell wrenched away from the kiss, slowly sliding to his knees. The water from the shower rained down on him as he brought the head of Seifer's penis into his mouth. Seifer ran his hands through Zell's wet blonde hair, head lolling back as Zell performed fellatio on him. He gasped quietly as Zell's tongue worked around the head of his erection, rolled down his shaft, and probed into his urethra, moving with nimble quickness, but also with slow expertise. He slowly pulled his head forward, opening his eyes and looking down at Zell. Seifer's hands stroked over his face, fingers tracing the lines of his tattoo, cupping his cheeks and touching his neck. The gestures were as intimate in themselves as was the gesture of his dick in Zell's mouth.

Zell looked up as Seifer stroked his face. When their eyes met, Zell's heart constricted, and he pulled his mouth away, the tip of his tongue flicking out over Seifer's testicles. Seifer hissed quietly, and then pushed Zell away by the forehead. "Stop...." he murmured, voice thick with lust. But, he didn't mean for Zell to stop completely, and his voice showed that. He wanted Zell to stop because he didn't want to come just yet. And, Zell was good enough at oral sex that Seifer knew he would have just got lost in the feeling of Zell's tongue and mouth all around him. Seifer reached out of the shower towards the medicine cabinet, dripping water all over the tiled floor. He had to lean forward to reach, swinging the door open. He started rummaging around for a condom, and Zell started kissing and licking Seifer's genitals, teasing him. Seifer groaned when Zell quickly and effectively deep-throated him. Seifer's hand jerked, and he knocked a few things down onto the counter, but eventually he found the box of condoms that he'd had in the medicine cabinet, but hadn't used in a while. He'd always stupidly thought 'just in case', but now it didn't seem all that stupid, after all.

The water had started to run cold, so Seifer turned it off. He grabbed one of Zell's wrists and yanked the smaller man to his feet. They were both still wet and dripping, and their lips combined for a deep, wet and heavenly kiss. Zell let out a strangled moan as Seifer's index and middle fingers pressed into him. He tried to reach out for something to grab onto, but his fingers only slid down the slick shower tiles. Seifer pressed them up against the far wall of the shower, and Zell propped one of his feet on the edge of the tub so Seifer's fingers could press deeper into him, touching him in a way that he hadn't been touched in a long time. By the hands of a real lover, a companion, and not just a one-night stand. He started panting as Seifer's fingers found his prostate, and started manipulating it, making Zell utter noises that only came out of someone during sex. He had his eyes closed, concentrating on the feeling of Seifer's fingers deep inside him, stroking and massaging him, and Seifer's other hand gently rubbing over his chest, sides and back. It was that small gesture that made it about more than just sex. It made it about everything else, and sex was only the small core of it.

He felt Seifer's fingers pull out of him, and then the more substantial presence of Seifer's erection enter him. He let out his breath very slowly and shakily, Seifer's name dropping a few desperate times from his lips. A tear slid down his cheek, mingling with the water dripping from his hair, and when Seifer was fully inside him, Zell wrapped his arms around the other man's shoulders, their bodies pressed very tightly together. They started kissing again as Seifer lifted Zell off the floor, pressing him up against the tiled walls. He first began thrusting very slowly, a little unsure. After all, the first time one had sex with someone, it was a learning process, and it was rarely the best time. He didn't know if Zell liked it fast or slow, or in what positions. As Seifer's tongue licked over Zell's lips, he could taste the saltiness of tears, and he frowned. Was he hurting Zell? He'd lubed himself up as he was fingering Zell, but perhaps he hadn't done it well enough....

"You okay?" Seifer asked against Zell's mouth, voice barely above a whisper.

"Better than okay," Zell whispered back. They started kissing again, a heavy and messy kiss which was joined by Seifer's hips thrusting up against Zell's, his penis filling Zell completely. Zell thrust back, hands in Seifer's hair, tongue in Seifer's mouth. Both of Seifer's hands were on Zell's ass, holding him off the ground, so he positioned himself so that his stomach as he thrust gave Zell's genitals stimulation. They both moaned quietly, both having been so lonely for so long. This relationship changed all that. It was an unexpected and strange one, but also a beautiful and fulfilling one. Zell groaned loudly as he was slammed against the wall. It wasn't that it hurt, but that it felt so good. No matter how much they cared about each other, how much they were starting to perhaps fall in love with each other, there was still a point during sex when it was less about the emotional connection, and more about the act, about getting off. They kissed and bit at each other as Seifer fucked Zell. Really fucked him. Zell gave it back as good as he was getting it, all the years of sexual frustration coming out in their loving aggression with each other.

Zell relished in the feeling of Seifer sliding within him, deep and shallow, buried and then pulling out completely. He groaned as Seifer pulled out and left Zell standing on his own, which was a hard task since Zell's legs didn't want to co-operate. He was turned around so his chest and the side of his face were pressed against the tiles, and then he was impaled again. He had one foot propped on the side of the tub again to make the penetration deeper. He wanted to feel Seifer thrusting all the way up into his fucking throat. He started to jerk himself off in time with Seifer's thrusts, leaning back against the other man's chest, which was still damp from the shower, but also from growing sweat. Zell let out a masculine groan as Seifer's hand joined his own on his erection, and as Seifer bit into the apex of Zell's shoulder. Zell reached up his other hand, panting heavily as Seifer's thrusts got faster and more purposeful. He got a fistful of Seifer's hair, and pressed their mouths firmly together in a wet, messy kiss. Their tongues were everywhere. Not just in each other's mouths, but all over each other's lips, cheeks and chins. They were both groaning and panting by this time, sweaty and thinking of nothing else but each other. Everything that had happened the night before was a distant memory, at least for a little while.

Seifer was panting heavily, unable to hold back moans, as he pulled out of Zell again. He whirled the shorter man around, pressing him up against the tiles again. He wanted to be face-to-face with Zell again. Seifer pushed him up against the wall, thrusting up into him, each one forceful enough that Zell slid up and up the wall, his own hips moving down to match Seifer's.

They both moaned loudly as they came, Seifer's face pressed into the side of Zell's neck, Zell's fists gripping Seifer's hair, hearts beating so fast they were ready to explode in their chests. They slowly sank to the tub floor, Zell straddling Seifer's lap, Seifer still inside him. Their bodies slowly relaxed, muscles loosening, Zell's ejaculate a sticky mess between their stomachs. As they came down from the high, their arms tightened around each other, their embrace not sexual, but comforting and loving. "That was great," Zell whispered into Seifer's ear.

Seifer didn't reply, but just held the other man tighter.

"I can definitely say that this is something you're much better than Squall at."

Seifer pulled away slowly and gave Zell an incredulous look, that slowly iced into one of anger.

"I'm just kidding!" Zell exclaimed, putting his hands on Seifer's chest. He laughed, but it was with uncertainty. "Totally kidding...... ow!" He gasped as Seifer pinched one of his nipples. He slapped Seifer's shoulder, and then they started to horse around, their flesh squeaking against the wet tub. Their mouths met again in a kiss, both smiling. But, after a while of enjoying each other's mouths, they were interrupted when a chiming was heard in the air. The doorbell.

"Who the hell could that be?" Seifer wondered, slowly pushing Zell out of his lap.

Zell frowned, and started to dry himself off with a towel that Seifer had thrown at him.

"Don't worry, Zell. I'm sure Diablos isn't going to just ring the doorbell and wait for us to let him in." Seifer put on his eyeglasses.

"I...." Zell stopped talking. He was going to protest, but his mind actually had gone to that. But, then he did wonder who it was. It's not like anyone else knew where Seifer's house was. "Maybe it's Fujin?" He called as he started to search for clothing. Seifer had just wrapped a towel around his waist, but at least he'd remembered to wipe the semen off his stomach.

"Maybe." Seifer opened the door, frowning in surprise when he saw it was Selphie and Irvine. "How did you know where I live? Know what.... never mind. I don't want to know."

"Can we come in?" Selphie asked, eyeing Seifer's half-nudity with appreciation. "And, I already know that Zell's here, so he can come out of whatever closet he's hiding in." She smirked at her own word usage.

"Why are you here?" Seifer asked, less surprised and more annoyed.

"Squall asked me to find you."

Zell came trotting down the stairs, slowing when he saw Selphie and Irvine. "What....?"

"So, Squall knows where I live now?" Seifer asked, voice very clipped.

"No," Selphie said. "Can we come in?" She asked again.

Seifer glared at them for a few moments, then slowly pushed the door open. Selphie went under Seifer's arm, whereas Irvine had to duck.

"So, what does Squall want with me?" Seifer asked, crossing his arms.

"He just wanted to know where you were. You did kind of just take off, after all." Selphie looked over at Zell. "You, too."

The tattooed blonde shrugged his shoulders, wearing the pants he'd come to Seifer's house in, but also wearing a navy blue tennis shirt with small red and white horizontal stripes that he'd gotten from Seifer's drawer. "I was sure you'd be able to sniff me out."

"Why did you just leave like that?" She asked, a little concerned. "It's dangerous, especially if Diablos wants to go after you again."

"I couldn't stay there."

"Matron was really worried about you. We know... about the Ultimecia thing."

"Yeah, that 'thing'...." Seifer rolled his eyes. "So, did she tell you all about _that_?"

"It's why we're here," Irvine said, looking back and forth to Seifer and Zell. It was obvious that they'd been having sex, and recently. "Rinoa felt it to when she was around Matron, so they asked Laguna for help."

"Laguna...?" Zell asked, coming to stand beside Seifer. He gave Selphie and Irvine confused looks. "How could he help?"

"Because he has Dr. Odine," Selphie said.

"Odine?" Seifer echoed.

"Edea wants to know where it came from. After all, Ultimecia scares her as much as she scares you. But...." Selphie trailed off, stepping closer to Seifer, and earnest look on her face. She didn't want him to think she was bullying him. She wanted him to know she was his friend. "I have a feeling there's more to it than that."

"What would give you that feeling?" He asked.

Selphie just stared at Seifer for her answer. She also knew it was something from the look that Zell gave Seifer. He knew.

"Maybe I don't want to talk about it."

"We're your friends," Selphie pointed out. "We just wanna be here for you."

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"It will probably come out eventually," Irvine said quietly. "Secrets always do."

"This one took thirty years to come out," Seifer muttered bitterly. Zell put a comforting hand on Seifer's shoulder, leaning against him.

"What did Matron and the Headmaster tell you?" Irvine asked.

Selphie saw the pain in Seifer's eyes, only thinly veiled by anger. Like he'd been betrayed thoroughly. Selphie slowly let her hand come to rest on Seifer's forearm. "Maybe it has something to do with why Ultimecia's power flared....? It could help it from happening again."

"It didn't help her from destroying me," Seifer said, talking to himself.

"Matron didn't want to destroy you."

"She sure did it last night," Seifer muttered, again talking to himself as if the others weren't in the room. Seifer walked towards the kitchen, and Selphie threw her hands up, giving a quizzical look to Zell. He just looked at her with a conflicted look in his eyes.

"You wanna know the fucking truth?" Seifer called from the kitchen. "Cid and Edea..." He trailed off, laughing. Selphie, Irvine and Zell went into the room, where they saw Seifer drinking from a vodka bottle. "They're my parents." He started laughing louder, taking a big swig of alcohol."

"A little early for drinking, you think?" Irvine asked.

"Oh, my dear cowboy..." Seifer saluted Irvine with the bottle. "I think I've earned it."

"Your _parents_?!" Selphie exclaimed. "Wha....?"

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me," he muttered, voice muffled by the mouth of the vodka bottle.

"How is this possible....?" Irvine asked.

Seifer smiled in a sarcastic way. "When a man and a woman love each other and decide to make a baby...."

"All right all right," Selphie interrupted. "You don't need to be a smart ass about it." She sighed heavily. "It's just..... I was _not _expecting that."

"Yeah, well neither was I."

"But..... Matron can't have children."

"I guess I was a difficult pregnancy," Seifer muttered, downing some more vodka. Zell went over and took the bottle away from him. "And, they wanted to protect me from Adel, or some bullshit like that."

"So, it's true...." Selphie looked up into Seifer's face. "No wonder you were so freaked out."

"I'd like it if Matron was my mom..." Irvine trailed off.

Selphie kicked back, hitting Irvine's shin. She shot him a look over her shoulder, shaking her head. Her eyes screamed _that was the wrong thing to say!_

"Maybe I would have felt differently if she had told me right after Adel was put out of commission. Not _thirty years _after, give or take."

"She must have had her reasons...." Irvine pointed out.

Seifer pressed his fingertips to his temples. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, we probably _should _talk about Diablos, or even what happened with Matron's power."

"I saw Daeva last night," Zell pointed out. "He was standing on the side of the road, and just disappeared when I drove past on my way here."

"So, I guess you didn't kill him," Irvine muttered. "Come on... we should go back to the city." He gave an expectant glance to Seifer. "Even if you don't want to see them again right now, you really don't have a choice."

Seifer bit the inside of his cheek. Irvine was right, but Seifer didn't have to like it. "Fine. Just....." He sighed heavily. "Just let me get my shit together." Seifer slowly walked up the stairs, with the weight of someone walking to the death chamber.

Zell watched him go, frowning sadly. He looked over when he felt Selphie's eyes on him. Irvine was looking around, for this was the first time he'd been in Seifer's house.

"Welllllll?" Selphie asked, elbowing Zell in the ribs. "You totally _did it_, didn't you?"

"Selphie!" He hissed. "Now isn't the time."

"So, how was it?"

He shook his head at her, but couldn't help the slightly lopsided grin that spread across his face. He forced his expression back to a neutral one. "None of your business."

Selphie's eyebrows raised mischievously. "That hot, huh?"

"Shut up," Zell hissed, hitting her hands when she offered a high-five.

Seifer came back downstairs, wearing grey slacks and a white linen shirt with a tan argyle pattern. "Okay, let's get this over with."

"What... are you gonna say to them?" Irvine asked as they left the house, looking cautiously around for any sign of Diablos, or any other strange creatures. "To Cid and Edea, I mean."

"Nothing," Seifer muttered. "I don't even want to see them again, but I'm kind of stuck." He got into the backseat of Selphie's rented car, slumping down as far as he could. "And, I don't want to talk about it anymore."

The others just sort of nodded, Seifer's body language telling them to back off, even more than his words. Selphie drove, Irvine in the passenger seat beside her. Zell kept watching Seifer, reaching out and putting a loving hand on his knee. Seifer looked over, a small smile gracing his face. But, the lightness that Zell had seen in him only recently was gone. Seifer was too weighted down with all that had been dumped on him. His mind just wouldn't let him well in the afterglow, with good reason. Zell took one of Seifer's hands between his own, pressing it between his palms. It wasn't a sexual gesture, but one of substance. Zell was offering his support in that press of their hands.

"Hmmmmm...." Irvine made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat. "Sky's gotten darker."

"Probably gonna start raining again," Selphie muttered. "Does it ever _not _rain in Timber?"

Seifer looked out the window, his hand still between Zell's strong ones. The ominous black clouds did look dreary and heavy with water, but none was falling. "Even when it rains, it never gets this dark...."

Selphie looked in the rear-view mirror at Seifer. "What do you mean?"

Seifer was staring out the back window, peering up at the sky. "I don't like it."

"You think it might be... him?" Irvine's hands gripped his shotgun a little tighter.

"I wouldn't discount it."

They all watched the skies silently as Selphie drove closer and closer to the city. She got onto a main street called Evergreen Parkway, and found a sight that would forever be burned into her memory. Irvine was ready to jump out the car and start blowing people away, but Zell put a hand on his friend's shoulder, restraining him as they all stared in horror. In the center of the chaos was the large, imposing figure of Diablos. The skies were blackening with each minute, and Diablos's wings were flapping majestically as he hovered over the crowd. A crowd of Blackballers. They were all shouting and praising to their devil, some on their knees, some even lower, crawling on their bellies like snakes, reaching up with shaking hands in the hope of touching Diablos's leathery, scaled skin. The skies were illuminated by fires from buildings, and the fires of a burning pyre. There were figures bound to tall poles, burning men like lampposts lining the walkways of hell. Through the fires, the group in the car could see that the burning men were members of the Timber Police, having lost their brave battle against the mob of drug addicts, all being controlled by Diablos's clawed hands.

"Holy Hyne....." Selphie put a shaking hand to her lips, the smell of burning flesh starting to seep into the car, cloying and sickeningly sweet.

One of Diablos's long fingers pointed out to the car, a stabbing dagger of accusation. "They are the ones that have stolen my voice from you. It is they had that have destroyed my powers. If you wish to be as one with me again, you must go through them. The pious, rotten flowers of Garden. The child of a Sorceress Whore."

Their hearts leapt in their throat as many pairs of angry, desperate eyes whirled on them, boring into them like lasers. "Kill them," Diablos spoke. "And, make me happy." As the more cohesive of the mob started to move towards the car, one of Diablos's demonic eyes playfully winked, and he vanished into a cloud of bats, their screeching noise so loud that Selphie, Irvine, Seifer and Zell had to cover their ears.

"What now?" Selphie asked, starting to pant as the car was surrounded by angry Blackballers, their faces full of anguish and anger. Obscenities were being screamed, and the car was rocked as it was slammed into by many bodies. "Shit! They're trying to tip us!"

As the car rocked, Irvine slammed his elbow against the passenger side window, shattering it. He punched the barrel of his shotgun out the broken glass, and pulled the trigger. A few Blackballers in the path of the scattering shells were flung backwards, dead on the sidewalk. It seemed to shock the mob a little.

"Irvine!" Zell exclaimed. "Diablos is our real target!"

"I don't care if they're being controlled!" Irvine exclaimed as the car was surrounded fully once more. "They're going to kill us."

"Irvine's right," Seifer pointed out. He'd taken Hyperion from the house, and also had his survival knives. "We have to get out of this car. We're just sitting ducks."

Selphie snorted, jade eyes widened. "Well, what do you suggest?"

Seifer closed his eyes. After Time Compression, he'd sworn to himself that he wouldn't kill another person unless he absolutely had to. All those Garden students and army soldiers' lives were still staining his hands red... he didn't want the blood of these people there, too. "They'll kill us if we don't do something," he whispered.

__

They'll do more than that, a velvet voice mused from within their heads, from all around them._ If you think this is bad, humans.... oh, wait 'til I get going._

Zell looked around at the sound of Diablos's voice, gasping when the car was rocked again. "We have to do something....!" He exclaimed, yelping as their car was turned over, the sound of crushing metal and broken glass mingling with their own screams and Diablos's disjointed laughter.


	8. Chapter 8

****

Eight

"Do you think it was safe to send Selphie and Irvine out into the city?" Rinoa asked quietly, hovering around Squall's chair.

"They can handle it," Squall muttered. He had some papers in his lap, some past documents about Guardian Forces and their powers, back from when Odine had 'discovered' them. He definitely was _not _concerned about them in the least. He was thinking of what Edea had said, about if Seifer's presence had put Rinoa in danger because of her connection with Ultimecia, too. And, had he also put Matron in danger? Maybe it was wrong of Squall to have sent Selphie and Irvine after him. But.... wasn't Zell with him, too? Did that mean Zell was in danger? Squall just didn't know what to think. Zell and Seifer not at each other's throats was new. It was different, and that made it scary to Squall.

"Squall....?" Rinoa asked, sitting on the arm of the chair. "I'm sure Odine will figure out what's going on..." She trailed off, playing with the ends of her hair. "Squall?" She asked again.

"What?" He asked sharply.

"I'm scared."

He sighed, his demeanour relaxing. "You don't have to be. After all, you haven't felt this from Matron before. You only felt it when Seifer came into the picture."

"I can hear the bitterness in your voice, Squall." Rinoa gently put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "I know you still blame Seifer for giving me over to Adel, and yeah...." She trailed off, pursing her lips as she tried to find the proper words to use. "It made me angry too, but... Squall.... you weren't there. You didn't hear his voice, or see his eyes."

"I didn't need to. He gave you to Adel. He knew you would die." Squall stood up angrily, going to the window. Though it was daytime, thick clouds were forming, the sun lost.

"He was lost, darling." Rinoa went over and put her arm around Squall's thin waist. Age hadn't changed his slender, boyish figure. "Just like Matron was. And, Seifer... he didn't have any Sorcery to act as a cushion. Ultimecia... she owned him. I'm sure feeling her frightened him half to death."

"You really think so?" Squall asked rhetorically. "I don't think he fears anything."

Rinoa slowly shook her head. "You shared a close relationship with Seifer for years Squall, and yet... you didn't know anything about him."

"What do you mean?"

"Seifer had so many fears that he was drowning in them. Just like you did." She put her head on his shoulder. "Like you still do sometimes."

Squall didn't say anything, and just kept staring out the window. The sky was getting blacker and blacker. Maybe it was rain?

"But.... you aren't just thinking about what happened between Seifer and Edea, are you?"

"How come him and Zell aren't at each other's throats?" Squall asked, his voice sounding a little lost in his confusion.

"It's been a long time," Rinoa pointed out. "Zell's not the same person he was back then. You aren't the same person you were back then. Neither is Seifer. He changed his name and went into hiding, Squall. That would change _anyone._"

Squall just made a noise, staring out at the city once more. Those clouds looked very ugly....

"I don't think you're really worried about Zell and Selphie and the others, or about how they feel about Seifer. What's really bothering you?"

Squall was silent for a while, but he looked into Rinoa's ever-patient eyes, and he spoke. Rinoa's eyes could get him to talk like nothing else in the world could. "Something that Diablos said to me. In my head..."

"What did he say?" Wife whispered to husband.

"He told me.... 'I grieve for your future, little kitty.' What does it mean?"

"I don't think you should take anything Diablos says to heart. It's still hard to believe that there is so much about the Guardian Forces that we don't know."

"But, apparently Diablos has the power of clairvoyance. What has he seen?"

"Probably nothing. He just said it to get under your skin, to gain an upper hand." She looked out the window as well, hand making comforting circles on the small of Squall's back. "Looks like it's going to rain."

"I don't know..... it feels ugly." Squall watched the clouds as they grew together, until the sky was a blanket of black. But, the clouds were swirling, especially around one area of town. A shudder of magic seemed to shoot out from there, and it buckled Rinoa's knees. She slumped, gasping. Only Squall catching her prevented Rinoa from swooning to the ground.

"Rinoa?!" He gasped, sinking to the ground. She was holding her belly, panting. "What happened?"

"Magic," she hissed. Squall stroked Rinoa's hair as she gulped in air. A few moments later, the door to the room banged open, and Quistis came in. "Squall....! Oh, Rinoa, are you okay?" She sank to a crouching position, looking at both with concern. "Matron just said that she felt a huge magical energy in the air. Diablos must be working on his revenge."

"Rinoa felt it too," Squall murmured.

Quistis bit her lower lip. "You think that Zell and the others could be in the center of it? After all, Diablos had wanted to kill Zell and Seifer last night."

Squall wondered if that was the case, if Diablos was at it again, trying to kill Zell and Seifer. Squall may not have shown it all the time, but he did care about Zell at lot, and the thought worried him. After all, Squall didn't have very many friends, let alone best friends. "But, Diablos was seriously injured."

Quistis gave him a withering look. "Squall, he's an ancient demon. I'm sure he's a fast healer."

"Is Matron okay?" Rinoa asked.

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, she's okay. But, she wants to go find Seifer. She's quite insistent. Laguna's trying to get her to stay here."

Squall rose to his feet. "Why would she want to leave? It's safe here..... and, Seifer was so cruel to her..."

Quistis shrugged a shoulder. "She said she wanted to. But, Seifer aside, this could be serious for the people of Timber. Especially because of all the Blackballers revolting."

"Let's move out. The Timber Police are probably already overwhelmed, and this isn't going to help matters...." When Rinoa started to stand to follow them, Squall said "no" firmly.

"No?" Rinoa echoed, finding her strength again. The shock of that magical wave had passed. She could still feel the power in the air, but could handle it now. "You're allowed to risk your life, but not me?"

"It's too dangerous."

"You're going...." She furrowed her brow, starting to get a little angry. Zell and the others were as much her friends as they were Squall's. She wanted to help them.

"I'm a SeeD."

"I'm a Sorceress," Rinoa shot back. "I think that trumps you. Now, I want to help Zell, Selphie and Irvine... and even Seifer. I want to help the people of Timber. Don't make me pull rank on you, my _Knight._"

Squall stared down his wife angrily, but she had a will of iron, and he knew that if he left her behind, she would come anyway, and on her own, which was even more dangerous. "Fine," he ground out. "Fine." He shook his head, a stiff jerking to show he was _not _happy about this. Quistis went ahead of them to tell Matron that they would head out to see what was going on, but when she came to the study, it was empty. Edea was gone, but so were Cid and Laguna. "Matron....?" Quistis called, looking around. "Squall! Rinoa!"

"What now?" Squall muttered as he got his gear together. He didn't know how good he would be in a fight because of his injuries the night before, but he would have to make due. He'd fought while broken and bruised before.

"Edea's gone."

Squall cursed under his breath. "Come on," he told the two women. "She could be putting herself in danger." They got their weapons together in record time, Squall still unable to wrap his head around the reason why Edea would take off into whatever nightmares Diablos was planning for them.

Zell groaned, blood dripping into his eyes from a gash on his forehead. The car was now upside down, and crunching metal and broken glass could be heard. The weight of the Blackballers getting on the car was causing it to collapse on itself. Selphie's fists were bloody from trying to push the cracked glass from out of her window. Zell groggily looked over and saw that Seifer's eyes were closed. His heart leapt in his throat. "Seifer?" He asked, reaching out and shaking the other man's shoulder.

"I'm okay," Seifer assured quietly. The deafening sound of crunching metal made all of them gasp. "Selphie," Seifer said calmly. "Can you use your slot magic?" His voice may have sounded calm, but inside Seifer was all jangled nerves.

"Yeah," she said, screeching as someone's arm shot through the broken windshield, trying to grab her. She saw where Seifer was going with this.

"Just cast something that will make them fall back. We need to get out of this car."

"What then?" Irvine asked, his shoulder impaled by a large hunk of broken windshield.

"... I don't know." Seifer closed his eyes again, knowing that they would probably have to kill their way through the crowd to get to a safe haven. Could he do this? Could he become Seifer Almasy the murderer again? It was a part of him that he often dreamed about at night, always waking up in a cold sweat, but it was a part of him that he desperately wanted to forget, too. Ultimecia had made him a murderer. He didn't want to make himself one again.

Selphie closed her eyes and started to do the mystical calculations needed to find a certain spell mingled within all the ones in her junctioned inventory. Even Selphie herself couldn't explain it. She found a thread that could link to five holy spells. So, she cast them, positioning them in a star pattern to give them the widest berth for escape. As soon as the spells hit the ground, Selphie did some moves that would make any contortionist happy and kicked as hard as she could against the broken driver's window. She shimmied out, as did Zell. Both got out faster because they were smaller. It was a little harder for Irvine and Seifer to navigate their long limbs out of the cramped space. Irvine crawled away from the car, leaving a wet, red trail from his injured shoulder. He sucked in his breath and pulled the large hunk of glass out, throwing it to the ground. Seifer was still on his knees in front of the car, even as the holy spells finished their task, and the Blackballers started to advance again in their blind rage. He stretched his arm out as far as it would go, trying to grasp the hilt of Hyperion, which was still in the backseat.

One Blackballer got close enough that Seifer had to pull one of his survival knives out of the sheaths on his belt. He sliced up just as his fingers got around his gunblade's hilt. The sharp knife, which had a blade that was more used for cutting through the hard scales of dragon flesh, cut through human skin like butter, digging into the bones of the man's neck. Seifer yanked Hyperion out of the crushed car, blood raining down on him from the Blackballer's severed carotid artery. The hot shower of blood shocked Seifer a little. He'd known that cutting someone would make them bleed, but it was another thing to feel the hot stickiness of someone else's blood on him again. He felt monster blood on him all the time, but when it was human blood... it was so very different.

Seifer stood, face streaked with red, his gunblade pointing out to the side, survival knife dripping blood from his fist. Cracks of lightning swathed the sky, and he cut an imposing silhouette. He stared through the rioting crowd, to where Diablos had re-formed himself. He was in human form, sitting on the roof of a parked transfer truck's trailer.

"So?" Daeva called, looking down at the four of them. "Where's your dragoness protector now? Did Daddy injure her too badly?"

"About as badly as I injured you," Zell hissed, stalking towards the truck. He had to punch and kick through the crowd, but was flung back by a wave of magic.

"I'm sitting here, aren't I?" Diablos asked, examining his black fingernails. "You know, I don't care if I kill you with my own hands. Just as long as you're good and dead."

"But, why?" Selphie asked desperately, hands out in an imploring gesture.

"I don't need to explain myself to you." Daeva then snapped his fingers, and all the Blackballers seemed to go nuts. It was as if they could hear something that Seifer, Selphie, Irvine and Zell couldn't. They started screaming and holding their heads, some collapsing, wailing in personal agony. They all started to focus their attentions squarely on the group of four, the look in their eyes no longer human, not even that of someone high on Blackball. It was a look of pure madness. Whatever Diablos had done to them, it made them all screech like monsters, swarming towards them.

"Shit," Zell cursed. "We can't just kill them."

"We have no choice!" Irvine exclaimed. "I'll get higher up. I can blast them that way." Irvine knew his strength wasn't right in the center of a maelstrom of fighting. He needed to be apart from it so he could aid the others with his sniper skills. And, he knew that this time, he wouldn't falter. He'd faltered at the Galbadia parade so long ago, but he knew it was because he couldn't just shoot the only woman he'd known as a mother figure. But, over the past decade, his grace under pressure was something that Irvine had worked hard on. And with Selphie's life in danger, he knew his hand would be steady now. He started running towards the big truck that Daeva had seated himself on. Irvine made his way there by pulling out a nickel-plated pistol to thin out a path. He started climbing up the back of the trailer, shrugging out of his jacket when some Blackballers grabbed the hem of it, trying to pull him back down to the street. He got to the top, rifle still strapped to his back. He ignored the stinging pain that was coursing through his shoulder. When he climbed to the top of the trailer, Daeva was sitting there, smiling patiently at Irvine. As soon as Irvine righted himself, Daeva exploded into bats, which zoomed towards the SeeD like bullets. Irvine fell backwards, having to hold onto the edge of the trailer to prevent falling to the ground below, into the waiting arms of a mob of angry drug abusers.

Selphie saw Irvine holding onto the edge of the tall trailer. "Irvine!" She screamed, trying to move towards him. The trailer was tall enough that a fall from it could seriously hurt him, or even kill him. But, the throngs of bodies was too thick, so Selphie had to fight her way through. There wasn't enough room to properly use her nunchaku, so she held the sticks together, using them as a club. She dug them into the throat of one, kicking him out of the way so she could get to the next one. She was trying not to kill them, but they just kept getting up. Selphie's fists were sore from punching hard jaws and chests, but she kept plugging along. Maybe she could also get high, and use her magic. She was the strongest magic user out of the four of them, and she wasn't doing much good now. She looked around, headbutting a female Blackballer, sending her flying backwards. She saw a second story balcony on a building across the street. "Zell, I need a path!" She called. He was closer to her desired destination than she was.

Zell heard her, but he was more worried about keeping himself alive, and her path was secondary. He was breaking necks and smashing faces left and right. Bodies were falling all around him. He would mourn them later. First, he needed to get out of this mess. He kicked one in the breadbasket, who then grabbed his foot. Zell used the momentum to do a roundhouse, kicking the man in the face hard enough that his nose exploded like ripe fruit. On his way down from the kick, Zell did a back flip, his heel smashing up into the guy's chin. His neck cracked loudly in a sound that Zell always hated for it meant death. As he was briefly weak from the move, one grabbed him from behind and started choking him. He was losing oxygen, but he still kicked out as other Blackballers advanced on him. He yelped in pain as his kick connected awkwardly, and a muscle pulled in his knee. He knew he'd sprained it. He yelped again when a loud explosion happened near him. The Blackballer that had been holding him let go. Zell fell backwards, on top of his dead body. Zell looked up, seeing that Irvine had pulled himself up on top of the trailer, and was shooting into the crowd. The tattooed blonde would have waved Irvine a thanks, but he had to concentrate on the masses that were still coming for him. His hands were starting to feel numb, and he couldn't kick with his left leg because his knee was flaring up. He felt someone grab his arm, and he tried to wrench free, but saw that it was Selphie. She started dragging him along, jumping on top of the roof of a car so she could leap up and grab the bottom rung of a fire escape ladder that led up to the balcony she desired to be on. She helped Zell up, then started climbing.

"Come on!" Selphie exclaimed. "You're doing no good with a bad knee. I'll fix you up, and then you can go back down."

Zell climbed up after her, looking at the chaos on the street. Hundreds of Blackballers were milling around. Irvine was shooting them as they tried to climb up on the trailer, and Zell's eyes searched the crowd for Seifer, wondering where he was, wondering if he was still alive.... Zell then saw him, among the crowd. He gripped the railing and looked out, eyes wide.

"There's Seifer...." Selphie pointed. "Hyne, he's surrounded."

Seifer had stabbed and beat up a few people to give himself some berth, but he was quickly surrounded again. He knew that he would have to kill them, or they were going to kill him. But... how could he will himself to kill again? It had destroyed his life before... a life he'd worked so hard to get back.

__

But, you have so much to live for again, he told himself. _You don't wanna die now, do you? Killing them would be a blessing...._

"They're monsters now," he mouthed to himself, closing his eyes. He went to the place in his mind he went when he hunted monsters like Ruby Dragons and Malboros. He had to do this.... he knew it.

__

Kill him, Diablos's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. Ten or fifteen Blackballers wailed like monsters. No, not even monsters. Something worse than that. They started running towards Seifer. Some of them had picked up weapons along the way, things like pipes and large chunks of rocks. As they moved closer, Seifer did a pirouette and the long blade of Hyperion cut through them. It was sharpened enough to cut through steel, so it went through flesh like it was nothing. He'd also made modifications to it in the past to better deal with monsters, so human bodies were no match. One slice of his blade went through six bodies, sending them sprawling backwards. They hit some more Blackballers on their way down. They were close enough that more blood sprayed onto Seifer, his clothes growing heavy with it. Some advanced on him from behind, so Seifer swung his gunblade back, feeling it cut through skin. He used his survival knife as a mirror to see where they were at his back.

__

Think of them as monsters, he repeated to himself as he dashed through the crowd. He quickly jabbed out with his survival knife with one arm, sweeping out long arcs with the Hyperion with his other arm. He tried not to see their human faces as he mowed through them. He saw their faces as the faces of a Ruby Dragon, or of a T-Rexaur, or an Iron Giant. Anything but a human face. He spun on his heel, crouching down low as he cut off one Blackballer's legs mid-thigh. As the body fell, Seifer stabbed the long blade of his weapon through his head, the point coming out in an explosion of blood and brains, and stabbed into the stomach of another Blackballer behind his falling corpse. He stood up quickly, dragging the body of the Blackballer whose head was impaled on Hyperion with him. He stabbed up into a woman who was about to attack him from behind, summoning up a fire spell. It went in a straight line behind the Blackballer he'd just stabbed, a queue of them going up in flames. Seifer pulled his gunblade away, stabbing his survival knife in the eye socket of a charging enemy. The line of fire exploded, sending bodies flying.

His combat knife was knocked out of his hand by one of the mob, but that didn't stop Seifer. He was on a roll, on a killing rampage not seen since his days as Ultimecia's knight. He dug fingers into throats as he decapitated and sliced off limbs with his gunblade, still just trying to think of these poor people as monsters. As he sliced off an arm at the shoulder, he felt a cramp in his lower abdomen. It felt awful, like someone ripping his intestines out. He let out a low moan, sinking to his knees.

__

It seems my Knight has returned.

Seifer let out a gasping breath, looking wildly around at the sound of Ultimecia's voice in his head. He tried to ignore it, but the blood in his eyes seemed so red, and the voice seemed all too real.

__

Kome, my Knight. Show me how you have improved.

I'm not your Knight anymore, he mentally hissed in argument.

__

You will always be my Knight. My killing hand. My little failure.

Seifer tried to ignore the voice, but it was so strong, so loud in his head. The voice seemed to move his limbs, and he cut through the crowd like they were nothing.

Selphie shook her head, watching from the balcony. Zell was gripping the iron railing hard enough that it was creaking under his strong hands. "He looks like he's dancing...." she mused in dark wonderment.

Zell could only stare as Seifer made a massacre of the crowd. Selphie's observation was correct. Seifer moved his arms not like he was fighting with weapons, but that the weapons were an extension of his body. He moved with the grace of a trained martial artist, and with more prowess than even SeeD's deadliest mercenaries or assassins. It was beautiful in its violence. Seifer leapt up onto the hood of a car, running up across the roof, gunblade out to his side. As he ran over the top of the car, leaping to another that was parallel parked in front of it, he cut of the heads of Blackballers trying to grab him and pull him down. Irvine was still randomly shooting from his position, but he was also watching Seifer with a bit of wonder, and... fear.

__

Every drop of blood makes you more as you were.

Diablos, though his form wasn't visible to human eyes, was still watching, and was worried. So, these were the abilities of his enemy? For a human, he was quite formidable. Diablos was right to have wanted him dead, to protect his own ancient life. His little human minions weren't a match. He would have to think of something else. The demon decided to regroup, removing his presence from their realm for now.

As soon as Diablos was gone, the Blackballers jerked out of their state of madness, looking around in fear and desperation for more of their precious drug. They saw the street run red with blood, and saw the death. They started running, scared and confused.

One poor woman saw herself staring at a man with hard green eyes and blood-stained skin. She saw that long, deadly blade arc down towards her. "Please!" She exclaimed meekly. "Please don't kill me! Please....!" Her last plea turned into a scream as the blade cut into the side of her face, cutting her head in two.

__

Please..... Her begging words echoed in Seifer's head, and he stared at the woman as she topped to the ground, one of so many corpses that had died on this street by his hand. He looked around him, at all the blood and the corpses, Hyperion dropping from his hand.

__

You did what's in your nature, the ghost of Ultimecia's voice pointed out with her familiar and nightmarish laugh.

The reason that Seifer had felt Ultimecia's presence again was because of Edea. She'd used the teleportation abilities that her sorcery skills had given her to come to this spot as fast as she could. Nothing had been able to hold her back. Not her husband's pleadings, not the pleadings of the man she loved. She'd only thought of Seifer, of what dangers he could be in. But, when she'd come, she'd seen that Seifer hadn't needed her help at all. As soon as she'd gotten near him, that feeling of the past had flared up, nearly doubling her over. Certainly Seifer had been able to feel it, too. But, perhaps his actions had shown he did. He looked like he did when Edea had controlled him, her body an extension of Ultimecia's. "Seifer!!" She called, starting to run down the street, kicking off her high heels so she could better manoeuvre through the bodies and large pools of blood.

"There's Matron," Selphie pointed out, seeing Seifer collapse to his knees. "Zell!" She called as he jumped from the balcony onto the roof of a car. "I haven't fixed your knee yet....!" She wasn't only concerned about Zell's knee, but at that moment, she was a little afraid of Seifer.

Zell grit through the pain of his sprained knee, but the injury wouldn't stop him from going to Seifer. Normally, someone would have been afraid of Seifer at that moment. But, not him. He reached Seifer before Edea, and saw that Seifer was shaking, looking over the carnage with wide eyes, tears threatening to trail down his cheeks from his wide, scared looking peridot eyes. "Seifer...?" Zell whispered, kneeling in blood beside the other man. He reached out and touched Seifer, and the other man jerked away, but then Zell touched him again, and the tears that had watered Seifer's eyes started to fall, and he crumpled against Zell's chest, gasping for air.

__

Please. That woman's appeal rang through his head over and over again, and he could see the terror in her eyes before he'd so viciously killed her. After all this time, nothing had really changed, had it? He was still the same monster that had killed under Ultimecia's flag. "What have I done?" Seifer asked, voice dissolving into sobs.

"Shhhhh," Zell soothed, stroking Seifer's bloody hair and holding him as tightly as he possibly could. "You did what you had to."

"She begged me..." Seifer wrenched out against Zell's chest. "She begged me not to kill her. And..." He gulped in some air. "I d-did.... I did anyway."

Squall, Rinoa and Quistis had also arrived, going a back way that had brought them to the scene as quickly as possible. They'd witnessed the tail end of Seifer's show of violence, and now saw him collapsed to his knees, shaking with sobs as he cried into Zell's chest.

"Any SeeD would be proud of such efficient fighting," Quistis murmured as they got out of the car. Her voice held little emotion when she said it.

Squall didn't say anything, but he did have to agree with his former Instructor. Garden students trained a lifetime to be able to have abilities that would pale in comparison to Seifer's. Grudgingly, Squall had to admit that Seifer's hand with a gunblade far outmatched his own. Though, he would never say it to anyone aloud. Ever.

"There's Edea," Rinoa said quietly. She'd never been one that liked the sight of blood, and there was so much of it that it was making her a little ill to her stomach. Rinoa walked on ahead, while Squall was too busy watching the way that Zell was sitting among the blood with Seifer, holding him and whispering something to him. How was this possible? Had the whole world gone insane?!

"Seifer!" Edea exclaimed, going closer. Her heart wanted to explode with pain when she heard Seifer crying. "Seifer..." She reached out and touched her son, which was a mistake. It angrily flared that ghost of Ultimecia's power, and Seifer jerked back, also pulling away from Zell's comforting embrace.

"Get away from me!" He yelled angrily. When Rinoa came closer to them, all gasped at the feeling, as if Ultimecia was standing among them.

"What's happening....?" Selphie asked quietly. She'd come down from her balcony, and was now standing beside Zell, who was still kneeling the blood.

"I...." Zell trailed off, looking up at his old friend. "I wish I knew."

Rinoa clutched at her bosom, clawing at the plum silk of her blouse. Squall ran over to her and put his arms around his wife, actually in a bit of a parody of how Zell had been holding Seifer earlier. "What have you done?" Squall asked, glaring at Seifer with an accusatory tone.

"Squall, please!!" Edea shouted, her voice actually rising in anger. That was the first time in ages that Squall had been yelled at by his Matron. He looked incredulously at her. She turned to her son. "Seifer, please.... I just came to see if you were okay."

"Okay?" He echoed, standing up. "I am so far from okay, I can't fucking _see_ it anymore!!"

"Don't yell at her," Rinoa said, defending the Sorceress.

"Rinoa... you don't need to defend me." She didn't yell at the other Sorceress like she had with Squall, but while her tone was gentle, it was still very final.

Seifer glared silently at his mother, still feeling that black gnawing within him where all his nightmares came from. Nightmares of her gold eyes and cruel laugh.

Irvine had climbed down from the top of the truck, and now walked towards them. He kept his pistol handy, just in case something else decided to jump out at them. Along with the smell of all that fresh blood was the stench of burning flesh. The corpses of those poor Timber Police were still smouldering above them. "Laguna and Cid just pulled up."

Edea looked over as they ran up to the group of them. "It's okay," she said quietly to them.

"Are you okay?" Cid asked of his son. Seifer just angrily shrugged it off.

"It was that feeling again," Edea pointed out, standing up. "That feeling of Ultimecia between the three of us." She looked to Seifer and Rinoa.

Laguna stood up and crossed his arms over his chest in typical 'Laguna Loire in thought' fashion. "Hmmm, I may have a temporary idea. That is, until we can find out what's causing this. Let's go back to headquarters." They were calling Diablos's mansion 'headquarters' instead of 'the house'. They didn't like the comforting feeling the words 'the house' gave the demon's manor. "Though, I think that Seifer shouldn't ride in the same car with Rinoa and Edea until we're sure what's going on."

Edea nodded, though she didn't want to be parted from Seifer, even though he was glaring daggers at her. She started to move back to the car Laguna and Cid had come in, but Laguna held up his hand. "If you don't mind, I'd like to ride back with Seifer. Cid, why don't you take Edea and Rinoa in the other car?"

Cid nodded slowly. "Right.... just be careful, okay?" He clapped the President on the shoulder.

"Always am," Laguna said in a way that made Squall mutter something under his breath and roll his eyes that looked so much like Raine's. Squall, of course, went in the same car as his wife. Zell immediately fell in step beside Seifer. Selphie went towards the car that Laguna was getting in, and Irvine was going to follow, but Quistis put her hand on Irvine's shoulder. "I'll go with you. I'd like to be briefed on the situation."

"Okay, whatever." They all walked towards the car, and Laguna frowned. He'd wanted to talk personally with Seifer, but he couldn't exactly do that with all these other people hanging around.

Seifer noticed that Laguna was looking at him oddly. His emotions weren't very hard to read at all. "So, I assume you know why I'm so.... put-out with Edea and Cid right now," Seifer asked lowly, wiping at some blood on his face. But, it was congealing, and making even more of a mess. There was a cut on his cheek that started to well up again, his fingers having pulled it open again.

Zell noticed and put a hand on Seifer's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"No, but I'll live." Seifer stared down Laguna for a few moments. "You can say it in front of them. Selphie, Irvine and Zell already know. As for Instructor Trepe, well... I'm not going to keep secrets. I'm not like _them._"

"What are you talking about?" Quistis asked. "Do you know something about this whole Ultimecia thing?" She also noticed the almost motherly way Zell was looking at Seifer, fussing over his injuries and not caring about his own.

"You should give your mother the benefit of the doubt," Laguna said, getting behind the wheel of the car. Irvine sat in the front with his gun still in his lap. The others clambered into the back seats of the rugged utility vehicle. Quistis was furrowing her brow, while Zell and Selphie opted to remain silent.

"I think you should keep your opinions to yourself. No offence," he added insincerely.

"Edea was afraid for your safety."

"What....?" Quistis whispered to Selphie. They were sitting in the very back seat, Zell sitting close beside Seifer. She asked in a hissing whisper "what are they talking about? Edea is Seifer's _mother_?!"

"You don't have to believe it if you don't want to," Seifer muttered, not even looking over his shoulder at her. "But, it's the unfortunate truth. They're just a couple of liars, that's all."

"You're being too hard on them," Laguna said seriously. "They wanted to tell you so badly, but were afraid for you."

"Adel was gone for a long time. They should have told me years ago. What, did they just think I would forgive them for lying to me for my entire life?"

"I just.... I know how Edea feels. She loves you very much, and she has missed you these ten years. She wondered where you were every day. I would hope that you could see where she was coming from. You're mad... sure. Hyne knows you're entitled, but I would hope still...."

"What, forgive and forget?"

"I know that I wanted Squall to understand and forgive _me._" Laguna turned onto another street, looking in the rear-view mirror at Edea's son. He wanted to try and talk to him as a third party, someone a little separated from the situation. He wanted to do it to wipe that sadness from Edea's beautiful eyes. But... what would Seifer think if he knew Laguna was fucking a married woman. A married woman that was his mother?

"Maybe he shouldn't have," Seifer muttered, looking out the window. Zell briefly gave Seifer's hand a squeeze, then started to bandage his swollen and bleeding knuckles with gauze that Selphie was passing him. Quistis just sat silently, listening to this conversation. So, Edea and Cid were Seifer's parents. That's what they'd said that had made him so angry and upset. But, yet... how could this be? Quistis had always thought that Edea wasn't able to have children. She was so wrapped up in the bombshell she'd just heard that she didn't notice the brief exchange of affection between Seifer and Zell in the seat in front of her.

"Most kids in your situation would love to have a mother," Laguna pointed out. "Even after all this time."

Seifer looked away from the quickly passing scenery and glared at Laguna's gaze in the rear-view mirror. "A: I'm not a kid anymore, and B: maybe I would be happier if it weren't for the little fact that because of her, I had to change my name, I had to go into hiding. Because of her, Ultimecia will always stain me, even now."

"It wasn't her fault that Ultimecia controlled you," Laguna pointed out sadly.

Seifer rolled his eyes, having to take off his glasses because the blood splatter on them just wasn't coming off. "Yeah, well... it still happened."

"You're as bad about holding grudges as Squall is," the President muttered, pulling up in front of Diablos's former house.

"Squall...." Seifer echoed, laughing bitterly. "Yeah, he'll love this news, seeing as how he'd love nothing more than to see me under a trolley." As soon as the car stopped, Seifer practically kicked the door open. "No offence, President Loire, but keep your nose out of it." He slammed the door and started to go down the driveway, away from the house. He didn't want to go in that manor again, especially knowing that Edea and Cid were in there. And, Squall and Rinoa... they'd be standing there staring at him with their holier-than-thou expressions.

Zell noticed that Seifer was going to take off, so he quickly got out of the car and started to dash down the driveway. Quistis gave Selphie a quizzical look about Zell's show of loyalty to Seifer, but the brunette played dumb, giving Irvine a sad look.

"Seifer!" Zell called, jogging to catch up with the taller man. "Where are you going?"

"I don't want to see them," Seifer hissed. Zell reached out and grabbed his arm, which Seifer pulled away in a quick motion. It wasn't only Edea that he didn't want to see, but Cid too. Cid had almost been his nemesis when he was a student at Garden, always giving him a hard time and making him feel inferior to the likes of Quistis and especially Squall. He could never seem to do anything right for that man. He's always resented it, and to find out that Cid was his father just made it worse.

"But, Laguna said he has a way to stop this feeling you're getting. Don't you want that?" Zell asked.

"I can stop it by staying away from her."

"Seifer." Zell stated. It wasn't the beginning of a sentence. It was a harsh single word that was meant just as that. He frowned angrily. "I know you're angry, and you have every right to be, but don't let it blind you to rationality."

Seifer glared down at his boyfriend, lover, whatever they were calling each other now, but Zell just glared right back up at him. Zell's pale eyes softened a little. "And, I'll be with you the whole time."

The crease in Seifer's brow vanished, and he let out a long and heavy sigh. "I.... I couldn't control myself."

Zell heard the fear in Seifer's voice, and reached out to squeeze his wrist in reassurance. "You did what you had to."

"All I could hear was Ultimecia's voice. Even when I tried to drown her out... it was just like ten years ago."

"Come into the mansion. Maybe Laguna and Dr. Odine can really fix it."

"What if they can't?"

Zell didn't say anything, because he really didn't know what to say. He instead stood on his tiptoes and wrapped his arms around Seifer's shoulders, hugging him tightly and intimately. As Zell hugged Seifer, he thought of something that his new boyfriend had said in the car. That, he wasn't going to keep secrets, not like Cid and Edea. It shamed Zell a little. It made him want to tell everyone that he was in a relationship with Seifer, that Seifer was his boyfriend, his lover, his man.

"Someone could be watching," Seifer whispered. But, he didn't let go.

"I don't care."

"I think you'll care when Squall finds out, and you get in shit because of Garden's idiotic promiscuity laws."

Zell was still hugging Seifer, but he stiffened a little. Ah yes, those promiscuity laws. Unfortunately, when you were SeeD, you were still expected to uphold the same rules that the lesser cadets were to live by. And, that included conducting yourself in a certain manner. Which meant no sexual promiscuity, and no homosexuality. Just because Zell was an elite SeeD and Garden Instructor, that didn't mean he was above those rules. He eventually pulled away, looking up into Seifer's eyes. Those hard peridot eyes that had once been a source of pain for Zell, but were now a source for so much more. He wished so badly then that they were alone. But, with all the shit that Seifer was going through, Zell felt a little selfish for thinking about sex.

"I see what you're thinking," Seifer murmured teasingly. He tried to make his voice playful, but it was hard around the edges. "Maybe later...." He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "But, you are right. I can't run like some fucking coward. I've been a coward for too long." He started walking back up towards the house, Zell slowly following behind.

Seifer had wondered earlier if someone could have seen him and Zell embracing as more than just friends, and he would have been correct. Quistis had started to go after Zell to try and get Seifer to stay, to try to talk to him. After all, she'd barely said ten words to him since seeing him after all that time. But, she'd stopped short of approaching when she'd seen Seifer and Zell hugging. She understood that this was a very trying time for Seifer, what with this whole Ultimecia business, and also Cid and Edea. But, friends didn't really comfort each other like that. Squall comforted Rinoa like that. Selphie comforted Irvine like that. Why was Zell comforting Seifer like that?

Before Seifer could even take a step through the opulent halls of Diablos's human manor, Laguna gently gripped him by the elbow, pulling him aside.

"If this is about me forgiving them again..." Seifer began with a warning tone.

"Here." Laguna pressed something into Seifer's palm. The tall man looked down and saw it was a ring of some sort. It was made of bronze, and had substantial weight to it. The design also looked archaic, from another time and era.

"What's this....?" Seifer asked, turning the ring over in his palms, a little confused. There were inscriptions on the inside of the thick band, runes that Seifer couldn't read. But, he knew them to be magic related.

"An Odine ring. You've heard of the jewellery, I'm sure."

"Yeah," Seifer muttered dully. "It's supposed to suppress the Sorceress's powers. Why are you giving it to me?"

"Put it on."

"I'm not..."

"I know," Laguna said, holding up his hands. "But, maybe it will create a shield around you so Edea and Rinoa's powers don't affect you."

"This is what you wanted me to try?" Seifer asked with a cocked eyebrow, a little amused at the simplicity of the plan.

"Hey, you have any better ideas?"

Seifer stared at Squall's father for a while, and mentally conceded that he did not. The ring was large, even for Seifer, so he slid it on his middle finger. It was loose, but it slowly conformed to his hand by magic of its own. He looked at the sturdy bronze ring for a while, not feeling any different. He stared at it for a while, as a woman would greedily stare at a diamond she admired.

"What are you looking at?" Zell asked, seeing that Seifer was apparently transfixed with his own hand. Laguna had went into the large ballroom they were using as a meeting room. The ballroom where everything had started last night.

"This ring...." Seifer trailed off. "Laguna gave it to me."

"Uh...huh....?"

"It's an Odine brand. He thinks it might lessen Edea and Rinoa's powers over me." He sighed, dropping his arm. "Zell.... what if...?"

"I'll keep an eye on you," the short blonde assured. "I won't let you out of my sight."

Seifer cupped the back of Zell's head. "If I wind up going on a murderous rampage again, hopefully you'll be able to tear your eyes away from my crotch long enough to stop me, hmmm?"

"Maybe not," Zell murmured as Seifer pulled away, walking into the ballroom as if he was walking to his own execution. When he came into the ballroom, all the eyes turned to him. Some were pleading, like the eyes of Cid and Edea, and some were accusatory, like the eyes of Squall. Seifer tried to ignore his old rival, his gaze gravitating to that of his parents. Seifer still didn't know how to feel other than angry about the whole thing.

"Please, sit," Laguna said quietly, voice friendly. Seifer did so, looking around just so he could meet Zell's eyes. That brief meeting of eyes was enough to give Seifer mental strength, to know that he wasn't completely alone here. Selphie and Irvine also gave him sympathetic looks, but it just wasn't the same. "Is the ring working?" Laguna asked, watching Seifer carefully.

"I....." Seifer trailed off, looking at Edea. She pursed her lips and tried to smile at him. Seifer turned his gaze away, staring at Squall instead. "So far so good."

"What happens if one of them touches you?" Irvine asked.

Rinoa started to step forward, not feeling any of Ultimecia in the air. But, she didn't get even a step before Squall's hand was tight around her bicep, preventing her from coming even within reaching distance of Seifer.

Squall just shook his head, giving his wife a very stern and final look.

"What?" Seifer asked bitterly, plainly seeing the exchange, for Squall had _wanted _him to see it. "Afraid I'll rip her head off or something?"

"Seifer..." Quistis trailed off, a little bit of her teacherly authority coming into her voice. "You're not making things any easier."

Seifer started laughing uproariously. "Defending Squall again? He could rape twenty children and leave their bodies to rot in the sun, and you'd still fucking find someone else to blame. I may not be giving Squall a chance, but he sure isn't giving me one, either. I may not be giving Cid and Edea a chance, but they would rather that he be their son, but they're stuck with the failure. With me."

Squall still had his left hand around Rinoa's arm, and the right hand had been holding a glass of water, which crashed to the ground at Seifer's words. Squall's head whipped towards Cid and Edea, eyebrows so high that they were almost part of his hairline. Cid and Edea didn't look over at him, but only had eyes for Seifer. Seifer with his dark hair... it actually did make him look a little like a younger, thinner Headmaster Cid, face softened by prettier features that were still everything masculine.

"You know we don't feel that way...." Edea trailed off.

"Do I?" Seifer asked harshly. "I also thought I knew that Ultimecia was dead."

"And, she iz."

Laguna just rolled his eyes and Edea frowned, but everyone else looked over when the eccentric Dr. Odine entered the ballroom.

"Iz my ring working, Mizter Almazy?"

Seifer nodded with hesitation. "So far so good, it seems."

"Of courze," Odine said with a smug tone, nodding at his own genius. "My inventionz never fail."

"Well, have you _thought _of anything?" Laguna asked.

"Prezident Loire, must you be zo contemptuouz?" Odine asked, shuffling across the room. His garb made him look a bit like a circus act. "I am a zientific genius!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Laguna waved his hand. "So, any ideas about this Ultimecia business?"

"Vell, I vould like to run zome tests on ze subjects...." Odine looked at all three of them with a grin that bordered on sexual. Squall wrapped a protective arm around Rinoa, and Zell wanted to go across the room and punch Odine right in his stupid face. "But, I do have a zeory."

"What is this _theory_ exactly?" Edea asked. She felt the same way about Odine as Laguna did. He was a meddling little parasite who cared more about experiments than the human cost of them.

"I do not vish to discuss it immediately." Odine waved his hand. "I vill know more vonce I am in my labz in Ezthar."

Seifer frowned. "I'm not going to Esthar."

"You must!" Odine exclaimed, a little shocked. "For ze rezearch."

Seifer shrugged. "I can't leave work."

"You own the store, Seifer..." Selphie pointed out.

"I've already taken off too much time."

"Seifer...." Edea began.

"I'm not going to Esthar," Seifer repeated with finality, standing up. "I swore after Time Compression that I would never set foot in the City of the Sorceress again. If you're such a genius, _Doctor_, then I'm sure you can do whatever research you have to here in Timber."

"You do not vish to rid yourzelf of Ultimezia's Ztain?"

"Her what?" Seifer asked, already turning to leave.

"Her Ztain. Her Taint. It iz vhat you, Zorcerezz Edea and Zorcerezz Rinoa are veeling."

"And, what exactly does that mean, Odine?" Edea asked, sadly looking over at Seifer, her heart feeling like lead in her chest. But, she supposed this is what she and Cid deserved.

"I vill have to do more rezearch before I can make an accurate concluzion." Odine nodded, smiling in that infuriating way that meant he probably knew more than he was saying.

Laguna groaned. "You obviously know something, you little pissant."

"I am ze great Odine!!!" The tiny doctor exclaimed angrily, jumping up and down like a child. "How dare you taunt me zhis vay!"

"But, what are we supposed to do until you're ready with your conclusions?" Rinoa asked, leaning into Squall. "I don't want to feel her again."

"I have a perfect solution for that," Seifer muttered, walking towards the grand double doors of the ballroom. "I'm outta here."

"Seifer," Quistis said quickly, standing up. "Wait. It's too dangerous to leave here right now. You don't want another incident like today, do you?"

Seifer's back stiffened, and he actually jerked. "This house is big enough that I can avoid seeing whomever I wish," he said, each word coming out clipped and overly pronounced. He left the ballroom without a backwards look, heading for the large staircase that was so wide you could drive a car down it. Seifer's long legs quickly took him upstairs, and he found himself looking around. He looked in room after room, finding a narrow staircase behind one of the doors. He went up, and found himself on the third floor. There only seemed to be one room up here, and Seifer guessed it had been Daeva's bedchambers. After all, he was sure that Diablos's real form hadn't needed this place. The bed was large, what Seifer would call not King sized or Queen sized, but 'orgy-sized'. There were still clothes hanging in the closet that Daeva would have worn to parties or other functions. There was a vanity that was true to its word. Diablos's human form obviously cared about his appearance. Seifer sat down in front of the mirror, casually dancing his fingers over the various things on the vanity's table. Things like moisturizer and hair care products. Seifer opened a small decanter of liquid, smelling that it was cologne, and a very expensive brand at that.

Seifer put the bottle down, the room now gently filled the dark, mysterious and masculine scent of Diablos's human form. Seifer found himself staring at his reflection. He still had blood splattered all over him, his face dappled with it. It was his face that he concentrated on. The face of Cid and Edea Kramer's only child. He didn't see an overt resemblance to either of them, and yet.... he knew. With his glasses on, he brought images to his memory of what a younger Cid had looked like, back when Seifer had first come to Garden. Seifer definitely didn't have a chin that was quite as prominent, but really looking at himself, he did see a similarity in his eyes. His eyes were a different colour than Cid's, who had blue eyes where Seifer had pale green, but the shape of them was the same. He could see a little of Edea in his nose and mouth, but where he got his chin and blonde hair and green eyes, he didn't know. He'd never thought about his heritage before, because he hadn't even had parents or any kind of family before. A lifetime of knowledge about his bloodline was now at his fingertips, having being kept from him for so long. Even though Seifer was now a grown man, he'd always wanted a family. Fujin and Raijin had been his family for so long, but it wasn't the same.

Raijin... Seifer just realized that Raijin hadn't been among the people on the street, part of the mob. Or, had he.... and Seifer had just cut through him without even noticing his face? No, Seifer told himself. He would have noticed something like that. But, that then begged the question; where exactly _was_ Raijin, anyway? And, what did Odine mean by 'Ultimecia's Stain'? He looked at the bronze ring on his middle finger, and sighed heavily. He pitched forward, resting his forehead in his hand. His clothes crunched with dried blood. Seifer then stood up and went to Daeva's closets. The demon's human form had actually been about Seifer's size, so he could at least put on some clean clothes. Even though Diablos had just tried to kill him on more than one occasion, Seifer didn't have any qualms about wearing his clothing. Though, a lot of Daeva's clothes were a little... outlandish. Seifer took off his ruined clothing and put on a pair of simple black tuxedo pants, happy that Daeva had been a tall man. But, finding a plain shirt.... that was another issue altogether. There was no such thing as a T-shirt or tank top here. So, he then just decided on the brightest shirt in the closet. A silk shirt in bright chartreuse green. Seifer was sure that the screaming colour would have looked quite nice against Daeva's pale skin and luxurious black hair. Seifer then put the coat that matched the pants on over top, looking at himself in the mirror. "Not bad...." he murmured to himself. The neon green definitely brought out the colour of his eyes.

Seifer sighed heavily after staring at himself for a while, and sat on the edge of the huge bed, his muscles stiff with stress. Maybe Diablos had slept here in human form. The bed was definitely wide enough to hold the demon's impressive wingspan. Seifer knew he had to go to Archimedes. After all, in the past few days, he hadn't gone there at all, and people were probably dying for weapons. But, what Quistis had said did ring true for him. Seifer definitely didn't want a repeat of what just happened. His heart started beating a little faster just at the thought. He'd gotten so out of control, and he hated that feeling. Hated knowing that even Ultimecia's memory had turned him into some killing machine.

He lay back on the bed, staring up at the red canopy. And, they weren't any closer to finding out why Diablos was trying to kill him, or why he'd even started Blackball in the first place. All those people... now they were in withdrawal from the drug, going through hell, and Raijin was one of them.

"Seifer?" Zell's voice called from the stairs that led up to Diablos's bedchambers. "You up here?"

Seifer didn't sit up to see Zell, but heard him click the lock on the door, then top the stairs. "Here you are," Zell said quietly, looking around the room. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I just wanted to be alone for a few minutes."

"Minutes?" Zell echoed, fingers running over the spines of books in the case by the armoire. "I've been searching this frigging place for three hours."

"Oh," Seifer answered dully.

Zell gripped one of the posts of the large, large bed, looking down at the other man. "Diablos's clothes?"

"Mmmm," was Seifer's response.

Zell sat on the bed beside Seifer, looking down at him. "At least the ring is working..." He trailed off lamely, not knowing what to say.

Seifer reached out and looped his fingers through Zell's. "You don't have to try and make me feel better," he whispered without malice.

"Edea's worried that you took off, even after Quistis told you not to."

"I need to leave sometime," Seifer muttered, letting out a long breath as Zell stretched out beside him, draping his left arm across the taller man's abdomen. "I have to go to work."

"I'm sure you can survive a few days without going there."

"Maybe, but it would affect me in the long run. When this is all over, and I'm sure it will be eventually, and if I happen to survive, I'm not like you and Selphie and Irvine, and even Squall. You can just go back to Garden and do another mission or teach another class. But, if I let the store slip, I lose customers, and hence money. And....." He sighed. "I need it to keep my mind off everything."

"It's not safe...."

"It's not safe here, either. Tiamat won't be able to protect this place forever, and I'm sure Diablos can eventually find a way around her runes, the slippery fucker. I'm not safe from _myself_, Zell."

"Notice I'm not going anywhere?"

Seifer let out an annoyed noise.

"I'm serious! I don't think you're a monster. I know that Selphie and Irvine don't, either. And, neither do Cid and Edea. There's an explanation for it all, and I'm sure Odine will find it. He's a creeper, but he is a genius."

"But, maybe _I _think I am."

"Shut up Seifer," Zell said in an exasperated way. "I don't want to hear anymore of that bullshit, okay?"

"Zell...."

"No, really. Look, if you hadn't killed them, they would have strung you up and burned you like they did with those Timber Police officers. I killed some of them, so did Irvine and Selphie. We had to."

"I heard her voice.... It was like she was still alive."

"I know."

"No," Seifer insisted angrily. "You don't."

"Okay, maybe I don't know what it feels to have been possessed by a Sorceress," Zell admitted, sitting up. "And, I don't really _want_ to know, but I'm trying to comfort you here, so stop biting my fucking head off."

Seifer sighed. "You're right. It's just been _such _a shitty day."

Zell rested his chin on Seifer's chest and the satiny chartreuse shirt. "Well, it wasn't _all_ bad, right?"

Seifer looked into Zell's eyes for a long moment, stroking a hand through his blonde hair. "Yeah, that was all right, I guess."

"I wish the day we first had sex hadn't turned out so badly. I guess that's the stupid romantic in me." Zell turned his face so his cheek was pressed against Seifer's chest. He could hear the other man's strong heartbeat, and it soothed him.

"I know we did it, but it still seems a little surprising."

"I feel the same way." Zell chuckled. "You know.... I did lock the door behind me." The comment was just meant innocently, since neither was in a particularly horny mood. They held each other in silence, laying among Daeva's sheets and abandoned bedchamber. "Seifer....?" Zell asked after a while.

"Hmmm?"

"I know you're going to get mad at me for asking this, but.... have you thought about what you're going to do about Cid and Edea?"

Seifer thought on the question for a few moments. "I honestly don't know. The things I do know are that they lied to me, and I have a million other things to worry about other than if I'm hurting _their_ feelings."

"Don't you want to forgive them?" Zell asked, hand stroking up and down Seifer's side, palm then resting in the curve of his waist.

"Part of me does, yeah. One of the few memories I still have of the past, before Garden, was the day you got adopted. I was so jealous. I just wanted someone to come and take me home. I may not have shown it, but deep down I wanted someone to love me, to care for me."

"Yeah, you were a real bully."

"I know. I also stupidly dreamed that my parents would come through the Orphanage doors, that they hadn't really died in the Sorceress War, or that they hadn't just forgotten about me and abandoned me."

"But, Matron did love you."

"That's what makes it worse," Seifer muttered, arms tightening around Zell. Seifer buried his face in Zell's hair. "I wanted a mother so badly, and she was there the entire time, looking me in the eyes and lying to me."

"She did it..."

"... to protect me," Seifer finished. "Yeah, I get it."

Zell didn't respond. He didn't know how. This was something as alien to him as Seifer's ugly connection with a dead Sorceress. He couldn't imagine what Seifer was going through, finding out that he'd had a mother, all this time, and she'd been right under his nose. All the children at the Orphanage had dreamed of Matron being their mother, Zell included, but this situation was just so messy that it clouded those innocent childhood feelings. Zell was very loyal to Edea, and always had been. But now, he was also loyal to Seifer in a way that was very different. Zell looked up at Seifer, smiling distantly. He shimmied up the large mattress a little, planting a soft yet firm kiss on Seifer's mouth. He'd meant it as a rather chaste kiss of affection, but the taste of Seifer's lips against his wound up making it so much more. Zell hated that so many things were imploding all around them right now. He just wanted this time to get to know Seifer as a friend and as a lover. When Seifer's arms tightly wrapped around him, Zell could only describe the feeling inside him as a mushy sort of feeling. It felt like everything inside him just turned to goo. Seifer's arms were _so_ strong around him, and even though they were in Diablos's manor, and his bedroom of all places, Zell felt safe.

Zell's hands slid down the slippery fabric of Seifer's borrowed shirt, one hand stroking up and down Seifer's chest, the other finding the junction between his thighs, squeezing Seifer's genitals. Seifer let in a quick, shaky breath as Zell's strong hand started firmly massaging him. It was true that he hadn't been in a very amorous mood earlier, but now that Zell was touching him like this.... well, it was hard to ignore. When Zell's hand slid into his, actually Daeva's, pants, Seifer let out his breath, opening his eyes as Zell broke their kiss.

The blonde gave Seifer a toothy grin, sliding down the bed as he freed Seifer's genitals from his pants. When Zell's tongue brushed over the head of his penis, the erection that had been starting grew fully hard. His arm draped across his eyes as he felt Zell's mouth surround him. He let out a long sigh, his other hand moving through Zell's hair. He let out a small groan once and a while as Zell went down on him, him mouth so velvety and wet and hot. Seifer's mind kept trying to go to more nefarious things like Diablos, Ultimecia and Cid and Edea, but he kept pushing all those thoughts out of his head, wanting to think only about Zell, about how good it felt to have someone else's hands and mouth on his body, to have someone not only as a sexual partner, but as a _companion._ Even though he was sure everyone else downstairs was a little, or a lot, wary of him at that moment, Seifer knew that Zell wasn't, that Zell still trusted him. And, that meant the world to him, and filled his heart with a warm tingly feeling. He let out a shaky breath as Zell deep-throated him, fist closing around some of Zell's hair.

Zell opened his eyes and looked up at Seifer as he swirled his tongue around the shaft of the other man's penis. Seifer had a serene look on his face that was a welcome change from the deeply brooding expressions he'd been holding for most of the day. Zell kissed Seifer's testicles, licking up his penis and covering it with his mouth again, wrenching a small noise out of Seifer's throat that was very satisfying to Zell. The blonde started putting all his oral talents to use , loving the sounds Seifer was making. His hand worked in time with his mouth on Seifer's erection, fist moving up and down with his mouth as his tongue worked nimbly to bring Seifer to orgasm. Zell tasted the heat and saltiness of Seifer's ejaculate explode in his mouth. He swallowed it, sitting up and looking down at Seifer, who still had his arm flung over his face, panting quietly. Zell slowly stroked Seifer's belly and kissed his chin and cheeks. Seifer came down from the high of orgasm, and eventually did up his pants, Zell moulding to his side.

"Zell?" Seifer asked.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you stayed." And, Zell knew that Seifer meant more than just in this room with him right now.

"Me too," Zell whispered, cheek still against Seifer's heartbeat.

"Daeva, I hope you're happy with yourself."

He looked over at Aria, flashing her a charming grin. He was walking gingerly, both palms flat against his sore stomach. Aria had her arm looped through his. People stared at them because they made an ethereal, beautiful couple. Daeva was too pretty to be a man, too masculine to be anything else. And, everyone looked at Aria, thinking the Lady of the Golden Tongue was a Sorceress, the way her skin was pearlescent, the way her hair shimmered like gold, how her eyes swirled like an opal. "I'm always happy with myself, my love..." He murmured, speaking to her in the ancient tongue of the fey.

"Look at what you've done. I don't understand how you can be so bitter towards them."

"What, humans?" Daeva asked. "You should know as well as I what is suffered because of them."

"That was a different time, a different age."

"Humans never change Aria," Daeva hissed, eyes briefly swirling to a demonic yellow. "If I make them all suffer to the end, it won't make up for how they made me suffer."

"The fey made you suffer, too."

One of Daeva's arched eyebrows cocked. "Yeah, but they aren't around anymore, now are they?"

Aria shook her head sadly. "Daeva...."

"Oh, don't start. You'll sound like Etanin."

"And, that's a bad thing?"

Daeva didn't reply, but started to walk with more purpose. Aria was just sort of dragged along with him, wondering where he was leading them. They eventually came to a rather unsavoury area. Aria wasn't afraid, but the smells and sounds were an affront to the senses. "Why are we here?"

Daeva put a finger to his luscious lips, giving the other Summon in disguise a saucy wink. They were at the mouth of an alley that stunk of garbage and human waste. Daeva led them into the darkness of the place, Aria frowning and hesitating. She didn't really want to wind up stepping in whatever was making that awful smell. "Daeva, really... I'm not interested in your little games."

"Just a moment, love." He stopped in front of what looked like some sort of decomposing appliance box, and he knocked as if a gentleman would knock on a potential date's door. Aria saw some legs move from within the makeshift shelter as Daeva kneeled down. He didn't protest, but Aria knew him well enough to know that simple motion caused him some bodily distress.

"Is anyone home?" Daeva cooed, pushing back the flaps of the box, looking at the human within. Just the person he was looking for, naturally. To Seifer or Fujin, Raijin would have been a pitiful sight that was nearly unrecognizable. He was so skinny and dirty, face looking sallow. His eyes also looked haunted, desperate and feverish. Aria stood back, knowing that the Dark Messenger was up to no good. She frowned the entire time, but Siren knew her disapproval would mean nothing to him.

"Do you know who I am, Raijin?" Daeva asked, hands resting on his knees. "I have a little job for you." Daeva leaned in, and started whispering in Raijin's ear. At first, the formerly boisterous man seemed unresponsive, but that voice sent shivers through him. Raijin hadn't joined the mobs of Blackballers because something had told him not to, that same beautiful voice that used to sing to him with his wonderful drugs. He'd thought that the voice had abandoned him, but no... here it was. Raijin looked over, seeing those fathomless blue and black eyes, hearing that voice in his ear.

__

Vaxhar u'vrhallaxah dith-somarxha. Dor vizsh Kh'thurasha meil zhllarvahx. Doth vollarah ba'thar kulerah? Si venar ko ke'sharxha xhallarvehth surpa di xuybakr. Di vartha. Sillvath bycxahr.... Daeva then leaned in, paying no attention to the awful smell permeating from the unwashed vagrant that Raijin had become. He then stood up, and reached his hand out to Aria. "Come, my dear. How do you feel about the symphony tonight.... in Dollet?"

Aria slowly took Daeva's hand. "What did you say to that poor man?" She may have spoken the language of faeries, but wasn't completely fluent in Diablos's dark tongue. "Daeva?" She asked sharply when he didn't answer.

"I told him what he wanted to hear," Daeva answered cryptically. "Now, are you ready to go?"

Aria sighed heavily, but followed when Diablos dissipated into a cloud of vampire bats. She herself vanished from the sidewalk, a few glistening gold feathers the only sign she'd been there.

Raijin stared into the darkness where Daeva, his saviour, had been standing. What Daeva had said in a language that Raijin understood perfectly was '_To have my voice back, listen carefully. Your old friend the Fallen Knight is what's stopping me. Will you kill him for me? He will be at his shop, or in my former manor in Westphal. Destroy him. And, you'll hear me again..._

Raijin rose to shaky feet, hearing Diablos's words over and over again in his head, like a soothing mantra. So, the Fallen Knight....? That meant Seifer. That fucking bastard. That fucking uppity bastard. He always thought he was so much better than everyone else, especially Raijin. Fujin, too. She was just as stuck up as Seifer. Well, Raijin swore to himself that very moment that Seifer wouldn't live a moment longer than necessary. He didn't deserve to live even a day longer for stealing the Dark Voice from Raijin. Without that beautiful voice, he was falling apart, reduced to sleeping in the streets while Ultimecia's whore was allowed to sleep in a fucking mansion.

"You won't live the night Seifer," Raijin hissed, stumbling out of the alley. "And, I'll get my Blackball back."


	9. Chapter 9

****

Nine

Edea watched with sad eyes as Cid talked on the phone to Headmaster Martine from Galbadia Garden. Cid wanted to get some more Garden cadets in Timber to help with the riots and the overall horrible scene. Looking at her husband like this just seemed to hammer home the empty feeling in Edea's heart. And, it was empty because of so many reasons. Firstly because of their son. Edea hated the hurt in his eyes when Seifer looked at her, and it shamed her so deeply. She hated that look of betrayal and sadness and anger, all pointed straight at her. She understood Seifer's mistrust, and yet didn't. She didn't understand why Seifer would think that Cid and herself would rather have Squall as a child.

"Cid....?"

He held up a hand to silence his wife, listening to what Martine was saying through the rather bad connection. This weather wasn't helping Timber's communication lines any. He gave Edea an apologetic smile, reaching a hand out to her. She took it, and he squeezed her hand with affection before going back to his phone call.

She sighed. Perhaps Seifer felt this way because of things that happened at Garden in the past, things she wasn't there for. But, the other things that made Seifer so angry were entirely her fault. Like Ultimecia. Edea knew that Odine was a genius when it came to this sort of thing, but she also knew that he may not make it an easy cross to bear. She hated the idea of Odine treating her like a test subject, but hated the idea of Odine treating Seifer like one more. The idea of a 'stain' sounded familiar to her from past Sorcery studies. That if a Sorceress was strong, and she touched someone magically, she could forever have a 'hold' on that person. But, that was if the Sorceress was alive, and Ultimecia was not. Her heart just ached for Seifer, and she wished that when she'd received Ultimecia's powers, that she'd also retained the dark Witch's Time Mage abilities. That way, Edea could go back in time and be there for her child, not hide behind lies like a coward. But, then on the downside of that.... changing anything in the past, even Seifer's heartache and Edea's own in turn, would have changed things now.

She looked up when Laguna came in, silently slipping between the ajar double doors of the study. Here was another part of Edea's heavy heart, coming towards her with a concerned smile on his handsome face, his pale eyes full of fathomless compassion. She wanted to run into his arms and be comforted, even though she also wanted to share the joys of having their son back in their life with her husband. She was so torn that Edea didn't know how her heart was still in one piece.

"How's it going?" Laguna asked quietly as to not disturb Cid's crackly phone call. He sat on the loveseat beside Edea, taking her hands in a friendly manner that wasn't really so friendly.

"Badly," she answered. "I'm nervous about Odine's research, especially where it comes to Seifer. I can handle him, but Seifer isn't magically inclined, so I fear what Odine will try to do during his trials...."

"Don't worry," Laguna whispered fiercely. "I won't let Odine hurt Seifer. I swear it on Hyne's name."

Edea patted Laguna's hand, and she looked at him so sadly and longingly. He looked at her the same way, but they didn't do anything about it. At least not right now. The idea of being alone together crossed both their minds, making them feel guilty, for Cid was right in the room with them.

"How are _you _feeling?" Laguna asked seriously.

"It doesn't matter how I feel," Edea muttered, shaking her head. A tendril of black hair fell out of her loose bun, sliding down the side of her neck. Even though Cid was still talking to Martine, having to talk loudly so the other Headmaster would hear him, Laguna reached out and brushed that silken lock of hair away from Edea's pale neck, her milky flesh so soft....

Edea's lips twitched up in a serene smile, but then she looked over at Cid and pulled away, withdrawing her hands from Laguna's. "I am glad of one thing, though."

"That Seifer is alive after Diablos tried to kill him again?" Laguna asked. "I don't get why Diablos wants him and Zell dead."

"Well, yes... I am glad of that. But, I'm more glad that Seifer has his friends there for him. He must feel like everyone's ganging up on him. First, me and Cid drop this bombshell on him, and the tension between him and Squall isn't helping matters. There is also the fact that he's feeling Ultimecia again, and Diablos and his minions have an apparent bounty on his head. I'm glad that Zell, Selphie and Irvine are there for him."

Laguna nodded, tucking some of his salt-and-pepper hair behind his ears. "Yeah, that's good. But.... kinda weird, don't you think?"

"Meaning?"

"That Zell used to despise Seifer, right?"

"It's been a long time," Edea said quietly. "Things change. People grow."

Laguna patted Edea's hands, which were shaking ever so slightly. "The same can be said for what's happening now. Give Seifer time to come around."

"I don't think he actually will, though." Edea blinked back tears. "He really hates me." The thought of her only child hating her just _ached _so badly.

"He doesn't hate you," Laguna whispered, sliding a little closer on the couch. Cid had one finger stuck in his ear, trying to better hear Martine, so he was currently oblivious to Edea and Laguna. "He's just angry. If he didn't love you, he wouldn't care."

Edea shook her head. "I'd like to believe you're right."

"When am I never right?" Laguna asked.

The Sorceress gave him a withering look.

"Hey lady, don't give me that face." Laguna stared at her seriously. "Sure, sometimes I'm not always the sharpest knife in the shed, but I do know about feelings."

"Isn't it the sharpest knife in the _drawer_?" Edea asked sullenly.

"You sound like Kiros."

"Well, that's a good thing," Edea said with a wink. She found herself smiling at Laguna, but her golden brown eyes trailed across the room to her husband, and that smile wilted. She couldn't help but wish that Cid wasn't in the room, that he was back at Garden or at Galbadia Garden with Martine or something. But, how could she think this?! Cid was a _wonderful_ husband, and had never been anything but kind and loving to her, even when the rest of the world hated her, when Ultimecia controlled her. He didn't hate her when she'd let Ultimecia get her evil claws into their son. He'd stood by her and left Garden to be by her side. And, she was thinking about him like he was some bastard, a throwaway who wasn't as good as Laguna. Her lips quivered with sadness, but for the first time in these past couple of days, this sadness wasn't about Seifer at all. It was about how her feelings for Laguna were destroying her marriage, without Cid even knowing it. How would he feel when he found out that she'd been unfaithful? Would he hate her, or would he stand by her yet again, like he always had? Edea almost hoped that Cid would despise her for the rest of her life, because she couldn't imagine the pain of seeing the disappointment in his eyes, and yet feeling the love that he would still feel for her. He truly was a better person than she was.

"Edea....?" Laguna asked quietly, seeing the torture in her eyes. "What are you thinking?"

"How we've both wronged Cid so grievously," Edea whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "And, he's done nothing to deserve it. Except love me."

Laguna pursed his lips, and he actually moved a little away from Edea, physically showing his guilt with the motion. "I know. He's been a good friend. Especially where Squall is concerned. I think that he had a hand in Squall slowly opening up to me."

"I know he did."

Laguna stood up abruptly. "I think I should check on how Odine's making out. I'll uh.... see you around." He left, his strides a little jerky. Edea's words rang true to him, and made him feel like a fucking asshole. Who was he to come in and destroy Cid and Edea's marriage, just because he thought she was sexy. More than sexy... the most beautiful, caring and wonderful woman in the world. Especially when Cid had been nothing but nice to him, and because Cid had helped breach the gap between himself and his son. And, then there was Seifer. Laguna was sure that he wouldn't think better of Edea after he found out she was sleeping around with Squall's father of all people. Laguna then thought of how Cid had helped that relationship between him and Squall, and thought of how he could return the favour. He'd already tried to talk to Seifer and the man hadn't wanted to listen. But, maybe he could do something where Squall was concerned. One of the things that was making Seifer so abrasive to this whole thing was Squall, and their tense relationship. Maybe if Seifer realized that Cid and Edea weren't wishing he was Squall, it could help. Laguna wasn't really sure, but it was a start. Besides, he didn't like how frosty Squall was still being with Edea's child. After all, it had been a decade. Hell, Zell of all people had forgiven Seifer. Or, maybe Laguna was just a damn fool. That was probably it.....

"Listen to this one," Zell said as he flipped through a very old book that had been on one of the shelves in Daeva's bedroom. He was slowly walking around the large room as he read the interesting books. Seifer was reclining on the bed, listening to him. Zell liked that feeling. Having someone actually listen to him. It was one of the things he liked about being a Garden Instructor. Because he was always just one of the grunts on missions, taking orders from the likes of Quistis, Squall or Xu, nobody ever really listened to him. He knew that his friends cared about him and loved him, but sometimes they just didn't respect him as much as their leaders, and he knew this. He'd never said anything about it, but he'd known it all the same. He liked having the students listen to him, care about what he was saying (most of the time). And, he liked that while Seifer was in a rather relaxed position on Daeva's former bed, he was still watching with his pale green eyes behind glasses. It made him feel special somehow.

"In Year 2544 in the House of Vargha, the guild of the Necrophage was begun by the faerie of the Sk'vorharla Mound. It was begun by Xarlar'la, a powerful Witch of fey blood. She gathered all those to her with like powers, the love and affinity for the dead, as well as the magical trait to control the dying and dead. Only those blessed with the gift of the Dead Arts were allowed. It is a trait that is not common in human blood, so the Necrophage contained mostly fey blood. Because faeries were outnumbered by humans 200 to 1, the courts of men wished the Necrophage be chronicles. These powers over the dead scared men, as if the fey could pluck these men from Claridine and make them do awful things in the face of their gods and goddesses." Zell sighed, having stumbled rather terribly over the difficult words of dialect.

"What's Claridine?" Seifer asked, interrupting. He found what Zell was reading interesting, but a part of his mind was troubled. Troubled because he had a feeling that this meant Diablos had more powers than he'd shown, which meant that Seifer and Zell's situation was only going to get worse before it gets better.

Zell scanned the old text. "Doesn't really say it again, but I'm guessing it's what the afterlife was called during that time." Zell sat on the bed beside Seifer. Beside his boyfriend. Even in all this tension and danger, the thought still got the blonde a little giddy. "I bet you're wondering why I'm reading this to you?"

"Because it's over a million years old?" Seifer asked, running his hands down the slippery fabric of the bright green shirt he'd taken out of Daeva's armoire. "I would think that would make it interesting enough."

Zell stretched out beside the other man, opening the book to show Seifer the list of the Necrophage. Apparently the Dead Arts, as they called it, was passed on through bloodlines, not the same as pure Sorcery. So, it was done up as a family tree of sorts. One of the branches went straight to the name Daeva Aka-Manah. The text was in a very old form of Estharian, one that Zell could read with rudimentary skill.

Seifer just nodded. "I figured he had a few tricks up his sleeves. I guess this is just something else we might get to look forward to."

"But, here's something interesting. Apparently Daeva was exiled from the Necrophage."

"For what? Being an asshole?"

"Doesn't say," Zell murmured, flipping through the pages. "Or, it does and I can't read it." He huffed angrily, slamming the book shut. Some dust was released, and made Zell sneeze.

"I'm impressed you were able to read _that_ much."

"Really?" Zell asked, rolling over so he was laying half on top of Seifer. His voice lowered a little, and he pressed his hands to Seifer's strong chest. "You're really impressed...?"

"I wouldn't say so if I wasn't. I'm not going to stroke your ego just because you let me fuck you."

"You don't have to be so vulgar about it," Zell muttered, beginning to roll off Seifer.

"Aw, come on...." Seifer mused, stopping Zell and sandwiching their bodies together. "Don't be like that." He hugged Zell tightly, sighing heavily.

"Are you okay?" Zell asked quietly, burying his face in the softness of Seifer's brown hair. Part of his mind still thought Seifer's hair was blonde when he closed his eyes, memory imprinting itself on the now.

"I.... I want my old life back," Seifer murmured.

Zell didn't say anything, because there wasn't anything he could say, and anything he would try to say would just sound hollow and be words for pure comfort, which he knew that Seifer didn't really want to hear.

"I want my own clothes, too."

Zell ran his hands down the satiny shirt. "What, you don't think Daeva's clothes are hot?" Zell fiddled with the bottom button of the shirt. "I think you look sexy."

Seifer just raised an eyebrow over his glasses, but smiled weakly as Zell kissed him. Zell's mouth was soft and felt comforting and already familiar. They'd been enemies _far_ longer than they'd ever been friends or lovers, but Seifer already felt very much at home kissing Zell like this, tasting his surprising soft lips and warm tongue, and already felt at home holding him close, feeling the lines of his powerful yet lean muscles under his clothes. When their tongues twined as one, Seifer couldn't imagine not having Zell around now, even though they'd never even been out on an official date or anything like that. Even though only Selphie, Fujin and Irvine knew about them.

"What are you thinking?" Zell asked, feeling the thought behind Seifer's kiss. Thoughts other than how nice it was to really _be _with another man. He kept kissing Seifer's mouth, wishing he'd known Seifer tasted this good back when they were in Garden together. But, at the same time... Seifer had been completely different back then. He'd been an asshole and a bully. Now.... now....

"You're thinking something yourself there," Seifer pointed out. He watched Zell's face as the other man slowly unbuttoned the chartreuse shirt.

"How different you are," Zell murmured. He got the shirt unbuttoned and ran his hands over Seifer's chest, fingers slowly massaging his nipples in compact circles. "I mean, compared to how you were at Garden."

Seifer frowned a little. "If you want to get me in the mood, don't talk about how I was back then."

"I really hate bullies," Zell muttered.

"I know. It's one of the reasons I can't understand why you're here."

"You're not like that anymore," Zell said. "I know you're not. I can see it in your eyes that you're not, and it's plain as day. What were _you_ thinking about?"

"Do you feel like we're... sneaking around?" Seifer asked. "When you think about it like that, it sounds kinda sexy."

"Not to me it doesn't. I want to tell _everybody_."

"We've never even been on a real date."

"Is that an invitation?" Zell asked seriously. "I'd love to go on a date with you. A million dates."

"What about Squall?"

"What _about_ him?" Zell asked, a little exasperated. He started to undo Seifer's pants.

"Okay, well what about SeeD?"

Zell paused at that one.

"And, what about the fact that I very well may be going insane?"

Zell furrowed his brow, then realized what Seifer meant. He was talking about what happened today, about him hearing a dead woman's voice. "There's an explanation for it all. You're not going crazy."

"Aren't you even afraid of me, just a little? I know everyone else is."

"No," Zell whispered, kissing Seifer's chest. Just above his heartbeat. "I'm impressed. I've _never _seen fighting like that before. When I heard you were an alchemist, I wondered how you'd survived fighting all those monsters all by yourself, but watching you.... the monsters never had a chance. Maybe that's why Diablos wants you dead."

"I think it's more than that."

"Maybe not," Zell said. "Creatures that old.... often they are very petty."

"How would _you_ know?" Seifer asked as Zell started to manipulate his limbs to get Daeva's shirt off his body. "How many creatures do you know that are over a million years old?"

Zell pursed his lips. "Just from reading about them. But.... it's not like ancient creatures are that common. Only in children's books."

"Going on children's books?" Seifer asked. "I wish that could help us, Chicken-Wuss. But...." He shrugged.

"Don't call me that," Zell said sternly, straddling Seifer's hips. "I might get mad." Zell gripped Seifer's wrists, leaning forward as he raised Seifer's arms over his head, smiling mischievously.

"Mad, huh?" Seifer asked, looking up into Zell's pale eyes, like the sky on a Trabian winter.

"I did say I locked the door...."

Seifer's face clouded. "In Daeva's bedroom....?"

Zell made a show of looking around the room. "I don't see him. Do you?"

"I'm serious."

"So am I," the blonde said. "Seifer.... this isn't just about getting my rocks off, and you know it. You know because you feel the same. It's about in here..." Zell released Seifer's wrists and touched his chest. "You could have died today..... I.... I don't know how I would have felt if that happened."

"Zell...."

The martial artist smiled. "I love how my name sounds when you say it." His voice deepened with masculine lust.

"Oh, really?" Seifer asked as Zell slowly slid his glasses off his face.

"Say my name again," Zell whispered, leaning closer so his lips were hovering over Seifer's.

Seifer just stared at Zell, and closed his lips with a dramatic gesture.

"C'mon.... say it."

"Make me."

Zell cocked a pale eyebrow, and pinned Seifer's arms fully to the bed. While Zell was strong, so was Seifer, and the taller man being pinned down didn't last very long. One thing Zell was used to was being a lot stronger than everyone else, but that wasn't the case with Seifer. Zell was sure, as Seifer rolled him onto his back where he was delightfully pinned under the other man, that a lot of people didn't give Seifer credit for his physical strength. After all, to hold a heavy gunblade the way he did took incredible muscle control, let alone wielding it with grace and ease like Seifer also did. Zell would have liked nothing more than to be pinned down by Seifer's warm and inviting body forever, but now it had become a game, and that challenging look in Seifer's green eyes stirred Zell's own sense of competition. They rolled over and over on the obscenely large bed, using each other's limbs to try and pin the other down to gain the advantage. It wasn't very serious, since they both had smiles on their faces and they were kissing each other as they struggled each other for dominance. It was more horseplay than any real sort of match of strength. It had also become a match of wrestling each other out of clothing until they were both naked, nude flesh sliding deliciously against nude flesh. Feeling the hardness of another man's muscles under silken skin sliding against his own flesh made Zell giddy with lust, and the fact that it was _this _made it so much better. While he'd enjoyed his past sexual encounters, there had always been an air of shame around them. Zell had never really been ashamed of loving men, but that feeling of secrecy did lend itself towards motions of guilt and therefore shame.

"Don't go all serious on me now," Seifer whispered into Zell's ear, licking down the side of the other man's neck. They were struggling each other enough that they were starting to build up a light sheen of sweat, and Seifer could taste the masculine saltiness of it when he licked Zell's skin. Zell laughed against the side of Seifer's face, and rolled them over, firmly pinning Seifer down. Seifer looked up at the other man, his heart skipping a beat. He didn't try to fight back as one of Zell's thighs slipped between his legs. Zell smiled victoriously, showing his pointed canines as he pushed Seifer's long legs apart, hips between them. As they'd both rubbed and struggled against each other, their penises had grown into erections, and Seifer could feel the hardness of Zell poking against his inner thigh. Seifer gave in to Zell, letting him control the pace, letting his hands and mouth go where they wanted. On the surface, it would have looked like Zell had won their little sparring match, but really it was Seifer that had won. He was the one that had deemed he would be the loser. He had let Zell win, and he was sure Zell knew it.

Indeed Zell did know it. He knew that Seifer had chosen to give his body of free will, not because Zell had won the right. And yet, Zell did feel like he had won the right. No matter what had changed about Seifer Almasy, he was a very proud man, and didn't just open himself up to anyone, let anyone touch him the way he was letting Zell touch him. Seifer's teeth lightly worried his lower lip as Zell's mouth found sensitive spots on his neck and shoulders that he didn't even know existed. They sent electrical currents through his nerves, the skin warm and moist from Zell's saliva. When Seifer had let Zell lay between his legs, and had let Zell's fingers press against the opening of his rectum and touch him from the inside, Seifer had been rather in control of things. But, with the way that Zell's fingers slowly discovered his prostate, and the way Zell's mouth worked over his skin like they'd been lovers for years instead of just now discovering each other, he lost control over things, and that control went into Zell's hands. And, Zell took that control and used it to full advantage.

His fingers stroked over Seifer's body, tracing the curves of his flesh and muscles, hovering and working over spots that elicited wonderful little moans and grunts from Seifer's parted lips that were lightly kiss-bruised, just as Zell's own lips were. Zell couldn't watch those lips without kissing them, so as his fingers massaged Seifer from within, he kissed him soulfully. It was the sort of kiss that was a prelude to not sex, but lovemaking. It was the kind of kiss that was so deeply sexual, and yet not at all. Zell's heart felt full in his chest, and he wondered if he wanted to be on top after all. It would have been beautiful and wonderful to feel Seifer inside him, to feel Seifer's strong arms wrapped around him. When had Zell ever thought of sex as beautiful? Never before Seifer had entered his life again. Zell sat up between Seifer's long legs, one hand resting on Seifer's thigh, the others fingers still within Seifer's body. Zell pursed his lips and let out a heavy sigh that sagged his shoulders. He actually felt like he was going to cry. And, he felt pretty stupid for it.

"Zell....?" Seifer asked, voice a little hitched because of how Zell was still touching him, fingers still slowly running over his prostate. "Is something wrong?"

"No...." Zell smiled, panting a little because of sheer emotion. "Never mind. You'd think it was dumb."

"Try me...." Seifer trailed off, sucking in his breath as shots of pleasure moved up his spine.

"Just thinking.... about how I've wanted _this _for so long. I don't even know how to feel now that I have it."

"What, being on top?" Seifer asked, a little confused. But, he also wasn't really thinking straight. How could he when this felt so good?

"No. Just _being _with you. Being with someone, knowing that I'm _with_ them." Zell's voice trembled a little. "It's pretty stupid, huh? Especially because I'm getting so upset over it."

Seifer reached up and stroked the fronts of his fingernails across Zell's tattooed cheek. "How can it be stupid? It's what everyone wants. To have someone who cares, who...." Seifer trailed off. He'd almost said 'someone who loves them', but he wasn't sure he wanted to say that. He knew he wasn't in love with Zell yet, but he was on that road, and saying it before he wanted to, or before it was time just seemed wrong. It was something that could wait until another time. And, Seifer knew that they both would know when that time was.

Zell smiled a little, his lips brushing against Seifer's in small kisses, in gestures that weren't kisses at all, but yet were at the same time. Zell ran his fingers all over Seifer's bare skin, the fingers on his other hand still slowly massaging Seifer's prostate, starting to do it a little faster. Seifer's eyes closed as he let himself enjoy Zell's ministrations. He let himself enjoy the sexual company of a partner who wasn't going to run away in fear. He let himself think of Zell's hands on and in his body, rather than thinking of the blood that he'd run through Timber's streets, or about Ultimecia's magic still under his skin. He wanted to think only of Zell, think only how good things felt right now. And, not just sexually. How good it felt to actually be alive. Seifer hadn't felt that in a long time. Not since before he'd moved to Timber and become Raef Emaissyl.

One would think that when the subject of condoms came up, they would be out of luck since they were in a strange house in a strange bedroom, but that wasn't the case. Ever since there had been the possibility of he and Seifer having sex, Zell had gone out and bought some. After all, he'd gone quite a long time without, and to have a chance at sex.... well, that was something that Zell had wanted very much, which also meant being prepared. He gave Seifer a smirk, pulling away. Seifer looked at him quizzically, narrowing his eyes a little because things were hazy without his glasses. "Where are you going?" Seifer asked when Zell crawled off the large bed, which was a task in itself. At the moment, it felt like swimming across the Centra Ocean. Zell went over to the small bag he carried with him a lot, that carried things like a first-aid kit (which was helpful for someone whose weapon is their body), his wallet, and various other things he wanted, including condoms.

Seifer saw what Zell brought back, and laughed lowly as he cocked a pale eyebrow that contrasted with his falsely dark hair. "Rather presumptuous of you, Dincht. What made you think I'd put out?"

Zell just gave Seifer a look, moving back between his legs.

"Okay, maybe I would have, but I'm insulted at the assumption."

"Don't worry," Zell murmured. "I'll tell everyone you played hard-to-get." His hand closed around Seifer's erection. Seifer let out a quiet gasp, his hips arching up towards Zell's hand. Zell's other hand started to massage his testicles. He whispered Zell's name a few times, his head slowly lolling between his arms, which were still raised over his head, even though Zell wasn't pinning his wrists anymore.

"I love it when you say my name," Zell murmured, his face buried in Seifer's throat. "Say it again."

Seifer whispered Zell's name over and over as he was pleasantly molested by Zell's strong, strong hands. His eyes were closed and his hands sought out Zell's flesh, his palms running up and down the other man's back, feeling the muscles there. His other hand started to move down his own chest, fingers playing with his own nipples as Zell's hands expertly played with his genitals. With his eyes closed, Seifer could picture that they were anywhere besides Daeva's former bedroom. But, his mind didn't even try to picture any other man. He only thought of Zell, of his pale blue eyes like a frozen sea, of his mouth that was just made for mischievous smiles, of the tattoo the crept up the side of his face like ivy. He thought of the sloping, muscular curve of Zell's shoulders, the narrowness of his waist, and what his penis looked like erect, how perfect his muscles were.

With Seifer's eyes closed, it came as a surprise when Zell's fingers slipped into him again, cold with lubricant. Seifer didn't bother to question where Zell got it, but only panted and moaned quietly as he enjoyed the feeling. He then felt the more substantial presence of Zell's penis pressing against his rectum, then slowly slipping inside him. Just the head first, teasing and taunting him. Seifer tried to push forward to get Zell deeper inside him, but Zell was determined to be a bastard and fucking torture him. Zell slowly slid his erection into Seifer's body, both of them letting the air out of their lungs in audible hisses. Seifer grunted as his rectum expanded to allow Zell deeper within him. Zell was being gentle, so it didn't hurt. It was just a .... _different_ feeling. A beautifully different feeling.

Zell groaned as his hips pressed flush to Seifer's, one of his hands curling into Seifer's dark hair, looking at the golden roots that were starting to show. Zell's hips started to move against Seifer's, desiring that feeling of friction. He quietly grunted, his hips starting to move with more pronounced thrusts, feeling Seifer's rectal muscles tightly gripping his erection. Seifer's long legs were wrapped around Zell's waist and entangling with his own legs. Seifer also got into a slight sitting position, his eyes opened lazily to look at Zell's face. They stared at each other for a few moments, in the most intimate of circumstances that two people could be under together. Their lips then smashed together, matching as their hips slammed together. They deeply kissed, tongues heavily working as their flesh made slapping sounds whenever their hips collided. Zell's hands strongly gripped Seifer's hips, giving it to him good.

Seifer couldn't help it when he flopped back against the mattress, hands clawing for something to hold onto. His legs started to feel disjointed from his body, his nerves tingling as Zell's hand started to jerk him off again. Seifer's fingers raked down his own cheeks as he groaned. He bit his lip, and wound up also biting his fingers. He felt Zell's lips on his throat and chest, tongue lightly flicking over Seifer's hard nipples. One hand raked nails down Zell's back, and the other gripped a fistful of sheets. He planted his feet on the bed and raised his hips off the bed. Zell pulled out of him, and they both made low moaning noises. Zell got on his knees, impaling himself on Seifer once more. They both started moaning, not really worrying about anyone hearing them. After all, they were behind a locked door and up a staircase in a room that was far away from where everyone else was in the mansion.

Zell gripped Seifer's hips as he fucked him. No, that wasn't the right word. It would have been more appropriate to say that Zell was making love to Seifer, but that was also incorrect for a couple of reasons. The first reason was that it wasn't really love yet, but the other reason was that Zell was making love _with_ Seifer. The other man wasn't a passive partner, that was to be sure. He looked down at his partner, admiring Seifer's physical beauty. How long and lean his body was, but lean the way a grown man was, not a teenager, the way that Zell had always pictured Seifer in his head before meeting him again as Raef Emaissyl. Zell had known that Seifer had grown to a man, but his memory hadn't seemed to accept that. Seifer's eyebrows and his pubic hair were dark golden blonde in comparison to dark hair. He pulled out of Seifer, and before he could enter his body again, Seifer rolled over so he was on his hands and knees. He panted incoherently, looking over his shoulder. Though he wasn't forming words, his eyes said everything he wanted to, but without words.

Zell pushed his erection into Seifer in one thrust, which caused Seifer to let out a long moan, deep from his throat and animalistic sounding. Zell also moaned, hands resting on the curve of Seifer's ass as he thrust into him, Seifer matching him thrust for thrust. Zell bowed over the taller man's back, kissing and nibbling at the back of his neck as his hips seemed to move of their own accord. He whispered Seifer's name a few times, saying nonsensical things. "I'd like to see you blonde again," he grunted, his hands sliding on Seifer's back and ass because of the sweat that was building up on them. Seifer bowed his back further to allow for deeper penetration, letting out a loud moan when Zell hit something deep inside him that made him really _feel_ it, all the way up his back. He kept bowing forward until his forehead was pressed to the mattress, his ass up in the air. Zell's hands were all over his back, and Zell was filling him so completely. He moaned and panted, letting Zell's hands hold him up, because his muscles weren't able to do it anymore.

One of Zell's hands searched for Seifer's, and their fingers twined together. Seifer craned his neck, lips finding Zell's so they were kissing messily. It was the best kind of kiss. The kind where you didn't care if you were basically slobbering all over the place, just as long as you were kissing that other person. Zell and Seifer's joined hands moved towards Seifer's genitals, and started masturbating him in time with the thrusting of their hips. Zell groaned against Seifer's mouth, and it was that sound, that vibration against his back that made Seifer fall over the edge into the blissful blackness of orgasm. It wasn't that Zell was thrusting in and out of him, it wasn't that both his and Zell's hand were jerking him off, but it was that feeling of Zell moaning against him that had really done it. He came into his own and into Zell's hand, panting loudly as Zell still fucked him. He let out loud groans and moans with the friction of Zell's hands on his now sensitive skin, and the feeling of Zell still hard and thrusting within him. By the time Zell felt his own orgasm starting, both of them were being _rather_ vocal Good thing they were on the third floor of a big mansion. Zell threw his head back, hands tightly gripping Seifer's hips, and let out his breath in a long gasp as he came. His hips still rolled slowly against Seifer as he came down from the high of orgasm, panting loudly.

Zell slowly pulled out of the other man's body, going to the bathroom that was a contrast to the room it was joined to. The bedroom was the height of sumptuous luxury, whereas the bathroom itself was all chrome and minimalist. He cleaned himself up, throwing the condom away. He came back slowly into the bedroom, silently admiring Seifer for a while, the way he looked laying on his back among the red sheets and canopy, his skin damp with sweat and almost shining with afterglow. Zell leaned against one of the bedposts, looking down at Seifer's perfect specimen of a body.

Seifer noticed that Zell was looking at him, and lolled his head so he could look at the other man. "What are you looking at?" He asked lazily, yawning.

Zell just smiled in response, crawling back on the bed. He pressed himself against Seifer's side, smiling broader as Seifer's arm loosely wrapped around him. "So.....?" Zell asked. "When d'you wanna go on that date?"

Seifer kissed the top of Zell's head. "Well, not this instant. I'm not really dressed for it."

Zell smirked and pressed himself tighter to Seifer. "I wouldn't mind if you went as you were." He rested his hand on Seifer's lower belly, feeling the smoothness of his skin, and the coarseness of his pubic hair.

"Do you think Daeva ever actually slept in this bed?" Seifer asked distantly.

Zell shrugged. "I don't know. Don't really want to think about it...."

"Mmm...." Seifer murmured in the back of his throat, knowing that thinking of anything besides Diablos and the whole ugly situation wouldn't last forever, even if it was with Zell.

Twilight was upon a city that no longer existed, except in the mind of the only person that had ever lived there that still existed. It was a city of looming gothic architecture and old cathedrals. It was a crisp night, and yet a comfortable one. A priest was sitting in the grand library of a church, home to worship for a god that had not existed in ages and ages. A god of the sun, a god long dead. Even in this time, a time that was just a memory, the texts were dusty and ancient. The priest poured over the text, existing somewhere that wasn't on land, and wasn't in either past or future. It was rooted in magic only. The ancient and mysterious magic of Summons.

"I'm surprised to see you here."

Alexander looked up with a start, hearing a voice echoing through the library he'd thought he was alone in. That hateful demon, Daeva, was sitting across the table from him. "What are you doing here?!" Alexander asked, shocked that he hadn't felt Diablos's pollution of his realm. It just went to show how strong a magician Diablos really was.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Daeva posed, propping his feet up on the massive oak table, examining his black lacquered fingernails.

Alexander glared hatefully at the Dark Messenger, his fingers curling around the spine of the book before him. Alexander may have hated Daeva, but he did know him well, and he noticed that Daeva had his thick hair tucked behind his ears. The dead giveaway along with his black and ice blue eyes that he wasn't quite human. Alexander also knew that Daeva normally wore his hair down to cover those pointy ears, but was purposely showing them off tonight. To rile Alexander's anger. In this time that existed now, faeries had lived, and they were creatures that Alexander felt were vile and evil with their black magic.

"Unless your barbed tongue has brought word from our King, I suggest you get out of my sight," Alexander hissed.

"Tut tut. Where is your religious civility. Ahhhh, yes." Daeva held up a playful finger, winking one of his hypnotic eyes. "You have no religious civility, for you have no religion anymore."

"I don't have to listen to this!" Alexander leapt up from his seat, slamming his fists onto the large book he'd been pouring over.

"Because it's the truth?" Daeva asked. "Can't I just come to see how my favourite fallen one is doing? You seem quite peachy."

"I despise you."

"Right back at ya, baby." Daeva removed his feet from the table, and leaned in. "I do come for a reason. Our King wishes a court council."

"To discuss the evils you are raining down on the human city, Timber?"

"To discuss other things," Diablos said smoothly, his voice a little halted. "Bahamut would not share the specifics with me."

Alexander couldn't help but laugh. "Kicked you out of his bed, did he? Disgusting pervert. Just like all fey."

"Your fangs are showing, Priest." Daeva's shadow was stretching on the large cobblestone walls, in the form of a great demon. "If that's even the correct term." Daeva looked around. "Quite the charming little chapel you have here."

"You have no right to be in such a holy place!" Alexander collected the book to his chest and started to walk away from the table.

"I may not have a right, that's true. After all, Sanviar's teachings would have you burn all fey and faerie at the stake. In fact, I can still smell the flesh burning in the air. But, you have no right, either."

"Shut up!" Alexander exclaimed, his own shadow growing. To the shape of a giant machine of war.

"Weren't you kicked out of this church?" Diablos asked as Alexander started to walk away from him. But, Daeva fell in step, gliding along next to the Holy Judgement. "What was the reason....?"

"Do not say another word, Daeva!" The priest shouted. "You are not to judge me. Not when your hands are so stained with the blood of those poor souls you polluted with that _drug_ of yours."

"You are right. Their blood is on my hands, Alexander. However, that is something that I'm not terribly concerned with. It doesn't eat at my soul. It doesn't plague me while I try to sleep."

"You ramble, demon." Alexander started moving along the long and cavernous halls of the church. Each step he took caused a metallic echo to vibrate across the stone surroundings.

"You think Hazel Domunia sees you with blood on your hands? You think her parents do?"

Alexander stopped all motion at the mention of that name. The name that did indeed plague him. His whole body started to shake. Daeva slunk up beside Alexander, hands sliding over his broad shoulders. Daeva's breath washed cold over his cheek.

"I have no qualms about what I've done, but I do not try to hide it behind that bible-black cloak of purity, Priest. Did her young flesh taste good? Did she quiver for your strong fingers? Did she beg for your adult cock?"

"Stop it."

Daeva laughed lowly, suddenly in front of Alexander, moving too fast for even the other Summon to see. "Did she beg for you to stop when you suspected she was part faerie? You think she still burns now, cursing you for stealing more than just her life?"

Alexander's hand came out and slapped Daeva's smirking, pretty face. No truly human face could look that inviting, yet that malicious at the same time. "You vile half-breed."

"I'd be careful where you sling that word 'pervert', Alexander." Daeva wiped his full lower lip in a seductive way. "The council is in a moon's length, even by your calendar."

"Get _out_ of my realm!" Alexander yelled, his voice shaking.

"With pleasure." Daeva blew Alexander a kiss, and evaporated in a shimmering dust of glittering black matter.

Alexander dropped the book he'd been carrying in his fit, storming down the halls of the castle, those walls of the beloved catacombs he'd been banished from as a mortal man becoming halls of metal, shining like mirrors. The city of industry that he'd found himself in after being banished from Sanviar's heaven. Ippi City, so very different from Sanviar, the beautiful city named for the glorious god of the sun. Ippi City, where Alexander had wasted away as a man, but not as a Sorcerer. He'd died here, and become the Holy Judgement. He entered his sanctuary. It was a chapel he'd made for himself. It was the place he'd died on his knees, praying to his god that would not listen. He fell to his knees here again, looking up at the stylized ankh that signified worship of Sanviar. "Oh, my great Lord... please help me smite that awful demon. Help me regain the purity that my human hands disgraced and dirtied. Please, show me the right path."

Alexander spread his arms out, closing his eyes in deep worship. He sought for any sort of sign from his god. Any at all in all these millions of years. He saw a brief flash in the darkness behind his eyelids. A face. The face of a woman with kind, almond shaped brown eyes. She had long black hair, and wings on her back. Alexander felt an affinity for her, like he'd met her before, touched her and spoke with her. He felt his power through her blood, and heard her call for him. She was junctioning him, a modern woman with magical prowess. A Sorceress, and the wings were false, a pattern on her clothes. A woman who would help him destroy that demon, the last surviving faerie. The Ancient Court would be better without his evil blood. And, this woman would help him kill Diablos once and for all.

"Squall's not stupid," Irvine pointed out. "He'll figure it out eventually." He and Selphie were wandering through the halls of the manor, searching for Seifer and Zell.

"I don't know that he will," Selphie said, poking her head into an empty room that had been used for Hyne-knows-what. "I don't think Squall's mind would go there. It's too strange a concept. Hell, if we didn't know that Seifer and Zell were boyfriends, don't you think the idea would sound kinda funny?"

"I think it sounds funny anyway," Irvine said. "How can it possibly work?"

"Well, you see... one man starts by inserting a finger into the other man's rect--"

Irvine slapped her shoulder. "You _know_ what I mean."

"All you have to do is see the way they look at each other," Selphie said quietly. "And then, there's no more questions that need to be asked." She smiled to herself. They came to a door, and Selphie tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Locked, eh?" Irvine asked, tipping his hat. "You think this is the last stop, milady?"

"It's the only place we haven't looked." She jiggled the knob again, then knocked. "Zell?" She asked. "Seifer?"

"I wonder what's in here?" Irvine asked, knocking on the door a couple of times.

"You think they're going at it?" Selphie asked, a mischievous glint in her jade eyes.

"I don't know. I don't care."

Selphie grinned and pulled something out of the front pocket of her jeans. "Let's find out, shall we?" What she'd pulled out was a mini lock-picking kit, and she started to go at the lock.

Irvine pursed his lips. "Uh, Sefie.... they actually could.... you.... _you know_..... in there."

"Booooyaka."

Irvine rolled his eyes as the lock clicked open. "You're a pervert."

"I learned from the best," Selphie said with a wink. She slowly pushed the door open, and saw a staircase.

"Oooh, stairs?" Irvine whispered. "How ominous." He made 'spooky' gestures with his hands, which Selphie promptly ignored. She climbed the stairs, and found herself in a rather lavish room. The focal point of the room was a massive canopy bed, decked out in blood red sheets and a matching gauze curtain for the canopy. Seifer and Zell were both in the room, putting the last touches on getting dressed again from their little romp. Selphie stomped her foot and cursed.

"We heard you knocking," Zell murmured, pulling on his second sock.

"Well, at least I can still tell that you two had sex. You're glowing." She clasped her hands in front of her chest, and gave a loud and dramatic 'dreamy' sigh. "That....is.... quite the yummy shirt there, Seifer."

Seifer looked down at the shirt he'd pulled from Daeva's full closet. It wasn't the satin chartreuse, but rather a blood red lace shirt with equally red velvet cuffs and collar. "Diablos sure has a flare for fashion, I'll give him that."

"Um...." Selphie noticed that they were both putting on shoes. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to work," Seifer said. "I don't know where Zell is going."

"I'm going with you," the shorter man said matter-of-factly.

"Neither of you should be going anywhere," Irvine pointed out. "Remember what happened when you went out _last _time?"

"Irvine's right. Just at least wait until Odine has figured out what to do."

"I have to check on the store," Seifer said, beyond listening to them. "Rioters could have fucking destroyed it for all I know."

"Seifer..."

"I can't stay here," Seifer snapped. His voice then softened. "I can't...."

"It's safer here," Selphie murmured, putting a friendly hand on Seifer's forearm.

"It's not safe anywhere," he whispered. "And, at least if I'm at the store, I'm not _here_. I don't have to see Squall, and I don't have to see Cid and Edea."

"You can't avoid them forever," Irvine said as Seifer started to go down the stairs. "You'll have to face them eventually!" He called. But, he was sure that the other man wasn't listening. Zell just smiled at both of them, squeezing Irvine's shoulder before he trod down the stairs after his lover. He smiled internally at the thought of that word.

"Hey, wait!" Zell called, jogging to catch up. Seifer's long legs had already carried him down most of the hallway towards the grand front stairs.

"I told you, Dincht. I'm going to the shop."

"Yeah, so? I'm comin' with you."

Seifer stopped, turning his hard peridot eyes to the other man. "Hell no, you aren't. Just stay here."

"What, you trying to protect me?"

Seifer said nothing, starting to go down the stairs.

"I know you're trying to protect me, but I'm in just as much shit as you are with Diablos. Maybe I want to protect you too, so stop acting like a fucking princess and just accept it."

Seifer opened his mouth to spit out something nasty, but he saw that Zell was standing his ground, and glaring back at Seifer. The taller man closed his mouth. "Fine."

Zell's expression of anger softened into one of affection. "Good then."

"Won't all the rest of them be wondering where you vanished to, yet again?" Seifer asked as he opened the great doors of Daeva's former house.

"Let them wonder," Zell said. "Selphie and Irvine know where I'll be going, anyway."

"You really shouldn't be going anywhere."

Both men jumped, but then Seifer became annoyed when he saw Tiamat's human guise leaning against the gates that led out to the possibly dangerous streets of Timber. Tiamat was dressed in and old-fashioned deep blue frock-coat that looked masculine and old-fashioned, yet was still plausible in this era. Her hair was loose and wavy around her shoulders and down her back.

"I won't let Diablos hold me prisoner," Seifer hissed.

"Even at the cost of your lives?" Thuban asked, her black eyes glittering like onyx as she stared at both of them with fathomless age and power. For a moment, it really put things in perspective for Seifer. He was staring into these immensely powerful eyes, eyes that held more power than any human could ever know, and yet... she was a weakling among the Guardian Forces. And, he had one of the more powerful of them gunning after him. It suddenly made Seifer feel very frail and small. But, then he considered to himself that he could have been considered small and frail compared to Odin, and yet Seifer had come out victorious there.

"Diablos will find a way to kill me, no matter where I'm hiding," Seifer muttered, starting to walk down the sidewalk towards the nearest trolley station. Tiamat stopped at the trolley with them, looking up the street for their ride the same as the few other people milling around the stop. Because Seifer had her junctioned, and she was also here, he could feel that she wasn't going anywhere. She was staying, acting just as much his bodyguard as Zell was. Seifer then looked over at Zell, sighing a little in aggravation. How could he live with himself if Zell died trying to protect him?

Zell noticed Seifer watching him and looked over, smiling brightly. He wasn't thinking about Diablos, or about what had happened today with the Blackballers. He was thinking of how it had felt to be inside Seifer, to have his hands on Seifer's flesh, to have Seifer's mouth on his. His eyes became hooded with the thought, and his hand sought out Seifer's. Seifer looked down at their joined fingers, then squeezed Zell's hand, smiling back. Zell leaned into Seifer, resting his chin on Seifer's broad shoulder. Neither man cared if there were other people at the trolley stop. They leaned towards each other, lips pressing together in a soft, slow kiss. Zell's hand squeezed Seifer's a little tighter, just to feel that he was really there, just to keep himself grounded as all the blood rushed out of his head. It didn't go down towards his cock, but it just left him, seemed to all go into his heart. Zell didn't care if there were a bunch of people watching them, or staring with disgust or whatever. He just cared about the taste of Seifer's lips on his own.

They broke apart and pressed their foreheads together, nuzzling. Zell's eyes briefly went over to the rest of the people at the trolley stop, but none of them were looking over. Either out of politeness, or just because they didn't give a shit. Zell knew that he felt the latter. He didn't give a shit anymore what people thought of him. He still had his mother's love and support. He still had Selphie and Irvine, two of the best friends that anyone could ask for, and now he had Seifer. A man that made all of it worth it. Zell wondered if Seifer felt the same way. Their hands broke apart as they got on the trolley, Thuban shadowing them. The other people getting on must have sensed the power rolling off the dragoness under this womanly disguise, because they all sat as far away from her as they could.

They all got off in Alraune, near Archimedes, without incident. Seifer came to the store, and saw that it was still open, and didn't look like it had been touched at all. When Seifer, Zell and Thuban Alwaid came in, Xera rushed out from behind the counter, a happy look on her face.

"Mr. Emaissyl.... I mean, Mr. Almasy! I'm so glad to see you." She took his hands and shook them. "Me and Gietz were worried that something had happened to you, what with the town going crazy....!"

"I'm fine," Seifer said, holding up a hand to stop her gushing. "I'm just glad to see the store's okay."

"The rioting stayed out of Alraune. I...." She trailed off, pulling her hands away. "It was on the news.... what happened downtown with the burning cops, and what... you did....."

Seifer couldn't help but close his eyes, feeling shame.

"You were amazing. We've had a lot of people coming in, just because they want to have a weapon like yours."

Seifer shook his head, going to the office door and pulling out his keys. "I'm far from amazing, Xera." He flicked on the light switch, turning on his computer. "I'm a murderer," he muttered under his breath. Xera didn't catch it, but Zell did. The Archimedes clerk knew Zell's face, but not the woman. Xera was oddly fascinated, oddly because she was also a little afraid. She looked back to Zell, remembering that he was a SeeD. "How did those gloves work out for you?" She asked.

"So far, so good," Zell answered, holding up a fist to show he was wearing the Red Dragon scaled weapons.

"Is there anything I can help you with today?" She asked pleasantly.

"He's not a customer," Seifer muttered from in the office, looking at some papers and cursing under his breath. "I forgot it was inventory..." He said under his breath.

"What do you mean, boss?"

"Just ignore him. He's my boyfriend."

Zell's eyebrows kind of raised, and Xera's furrowed deeply. She then just shrugged and said "... okay," and looked over to Thuban. "Is there... anything I can help you with, ma'am?"

Tiamat smiled at this earnest human. "No thank you. I'm...." she sought for the modern word. "A bodyguard." She reached out her hand to shake Xera's hand, as she'd seen other humans of this era do many times. Xera gingerly took it, and felt a jolt of power go through her arm. She took her hand away, staring at this beautiful, yet odd woman. Tiamat wondered if she'd done something that was a social faux-pas. Some Guardian Forces had a hard time immersing among humans in their former forms. They all didn't do it as well as Daeva, Manannan or her father.

As Xera was staring at Tiamat, Zell slowly went over to the doorway of Seifer's office. Seifer was printing off some sort of blank spreadsheet, and looked up when he saw Zell just standing there. "What?" Seifer asked impatiently. He looked into the store. Counting items for inventory was always a boring, daunting task.

"You told her we were boyfriends," Zell said quietly, leaning against the door frame.

"Did I?" Seifer asked blankly. "I guess I shouldn't have."

"No!" Zell exclaimed quietly, stepping into the room. "I'm glad you did. I wanna tell everyone."

Seifer felt the heat of blush start to stain his cheeks, and he smiled serenely.

"You look so cute when you smile like that," Zell murmured, leaning over the desk to give Seifer a quick yet delightful kiss on the mouth.

"Well, that's very sweet, but if you want to keep an eye on me, you'll have to let me actually do work." Seifer got up. "Xera?" He called, going out to the floor. Zell leaned against the desk, sighing stupidly. He felt so light and happy, despite all the shit that was going on. He hadn't felt this way in a very long time. Had he actually _ever_ felt like this? He watched as Seifer talked with his employee, how she reacted to him. Xera really respected Seifer, and he also treated her with respect. Anyone who thought that Seifer was the same person he'd been back when he was Ultimecia's Knight was sorely mistaken. He had a new life now, and was very comfortable in it. Zell watched as Seifer patted Xera's shoulder, and as she collected her stuff.

"Where's she going?" Zell asked as Xera nodded hesitantly at Tiamat, and then went into the Timber night.

"Store's closing, dummy." Seifer held out his wrist, putting his watch out. "It's eleven o' clock." Seifer then handed Zell a clipboard with what he'd printed out. "Here."

"What's this?" Zell asked, looking at it.

"Well, as long as you're here following me around, you can make yourself useful. We're going to count inventory."

"Whaaaa?" Zell frowned deeply. "Fuck that. Why can't she do it?" Zell gestured with the clipboard to Tiamat, who was watching the street like a guard dog.

Seifer just gave the other man a look, and Zell's shoulders slumped. "Fine."

Seifer smiled victoriously. "Maybe I'll reward you after a job well done." He winked and started to go over to the magazine rack.

Zell's eyebrow cocked in interest as his imagination started to play out all sorts of interesting scenarios that could be a 'reward'. He plunked himself down on the ground between two of the item aisles, and wrote _screws_ in the first column, then started counting. After that was done, he wrote down the total and went to the next item. _Diamond screws._ Zell filled his pages counting items, which actually was kind of fun in its own way. He and Seifer talked about a lot of minor, trivial things as they went around the store gathering totals. Zell also enjoyed looking at quite a few items that even he'd never seen before. If there was a number that Seifer felt was particularly low, he would write it down in a small book he was carrying with him.

"Why are you writing all that down?" Zell asked. "I've got it written here."

"So I know what to hunt when I go looking for monsters," Seifer muttered. "I have to go soon again."

"Really.....?" Zell cocked his head, taking a break. He leaned against the counter, flipping through a Combat King. "Can I come with you sometime?"

Seifer looked up from notes he was taking. "Huh?"

"I want to go monster hunting with you sometime."

"Why?" Seifer asked, a little confused.

"Because it sounds fun. Do you know how _fucking long_ it's been since I got to go fight monsters, other than the ones in the Training Center. It gets real old real fast fighting Grats all the time."

"I guess you can, if you want." Seifer couldn't help but smile at Zell taking an interest in his job, in wanting to do things with him. Seifer stared at the other man for a while as he read his magazine (or rather partially read it and partially ogled the pictures of the guys in it), but looked up when Tiamat let out a growl that could only come from her true dragoness form.

Zell quickly looked up, the magazine dropping to the floor. Was it Diablos again? Seifer didn't have Hyperion on him, but that didn't mean he wasn't armed. He pulled out one of his deadly survival knives, looking over to Tiamat. She was just staring, and there was a gentle rapping at the door. Seifer slowly walked over, thinking that Diablos wouldn't just politely knock. But.... maybe he would.

"It is your friend," Tiamat pointed out, stepping back from the door. "The silver-haired female."

"Fujin....?" Seifer asked, unlocking and opening the door. Indeed, Fujin was standing there, but she wasn't alone. She had a particularly perturbed expression on her face, and she glared over at Squall with her one good eye. "Squall," Seifer greeted stiffly.

"Squall?" Zell echoed, confused.

"FORCED," Fujin muttered, glaring at Squall evilly enough that any other man would have fled in terror. But, Squall just looked at Seifer, not caring in the least if Fujin was ready to throttle him.

"Well, you might as well come in." Seifer pushed the shop's door open, and allowed them to come in. Zell slowly picked up the magazine, looking at Squall with curiosity. Squall was looking back at him with the same sort of expression on his pretty face. "What are you doing here?"

"SAFE?" Fujin asked, gripping Seifer's arms.

"Yeah," he patted her hands. "I'm safe. I just needed to come in and do some work. I do have responsibilities."

"What are you doing here?" Squall asked as Seifer and Fujin talked. He was decked out all in his usual black, wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, done up all the way to its high, Velcro-fastened collar. He was also wearing black pants and black leather gloves. Anyone would have thought that he was either on some stealth mission, or part of some biker gang, but it was just Squall.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Squall chose not to answer, but instead waited for a reply from Zell.

"I didn't want Seifer to come through the city alone," Zell admitted. He'd mentioned only a little while ago that he wanted to tell everyone about his relationship with Seifer, but now that Squall was standing here before him, and there was a perfect opportunity, he couldn't find the words or the courage. "I'm helping him do inventory. So, why are _you_ here?"

"....."

"Go ahead, Squall." Seifer went over to the counter, and opened the register with a key. He pulled the till out and started counting the gil inside. "You can admit it. You were curious about what I actually do for a living. Right?"

Fujin frowned. "Selphie said that you guys came here, so I wanted to make sure that you were alright. And, I didn't want to stay in that house anymore. But, Squall INSISTED that I show him where Archimedes was."

Squall said nothing, but Seifer shrugged, nonplussed. "Well, you've seen the place. You really don't have any more reason to stay, hmmm?"

"What are you doing?" Squall asked, refusing to leave. He'd had Rinoa chide him enough that he'd come to try to find common ground with Seifer. After all, Seifer didn't seem to be giving Rinoa a second look anymore in terms of sexual desire. Squall was also wondering how much of Seifer's killing spree had been Ultimecia, and how much had been Seifer himself. This way, he could appease both Rinoa and his own curiosity, being both open and a spy at the same time.

"Inventory, if you must know." Seifer brushed past Squall, going over to the display with muscle balms and tensor bandages. "So, make yourself scarce."

Squall frowned deeply. "Can't one of your subordinates do this?"

"Well, next time you own your own business Squall, you can ask me that question again."

"Are you really doing it to avoid Matron and Headmaster Cid?"

Seifer whirled around to face Squall. "So, is that why you're really here, Leonhart? Don't bring that subject up to me again unless you want my fist through your fucking head."

"They didn't ask me to come," Squall answered stiffly, slowly pivoting on the spot as he watched Seifer go into his office. "My wife wants me to try and see past our differences."

"Rinoa," Seifer muttered. "Ever the diplomat."

"Squall...." Zell trailed off, putting his hand on the other man's shoulder from behind. "Can I talk to you for a second....?"

Seifer didn't look up from the papers that had spewed from his printer, but his ears did perk up. He knew that Zell was going to tell Squall about them. He carefully listened in, but physically stayed away. This was something that Zell should, and had to, do on his own.

Squall cocked his head, seeing that something was bothering his friend. But, before Zell could even get started, a chill went through the air. Squall, Seifer, Zell and Fujin all looked over to Tiamat, because she was where that feeling was coming from.

"Someone's out there," she said in a multi-layered voice that should not have come from human lips. Suddenly, something smashed through the front window of the store. Fujin had to jump back to avoid being hit by it. The object was a brick.

"Rioters?" Zell asked, balling his hands into fists.

"_Xar-voth kullerah!_" A voice shouted from outside.

"That's Diablos's language," Tiamat hissed.

"VOICE...." Fujin trailed off, a stricken look coming over her face.

Seifer stalked over to the door and unlocked it, wrenching his hands away from Tiamat when she tried to stop him. He flung the door open and saw Raijin standing in the middle of the road. He was holding a weapon that he couldn't have gotten his hands on without help. A pair of hand sickles. He could have picked some up from a farm supply store, but these looked archaic, more like a weapon than a farming tool.

"RAIJIN...." Fujin gasped, a hand going to her mouth.

Zell and Squall had gone to the broken window, looking out at Raijin, just standing there and staring at Seifer. One of his hands went up, the curved blade of his sickle catching the moonlight. He looked so frail and skinny, nothing like the Raijin that Squall remembered.

"Ultimecia's Dog, I challenge thee." The voice coming from Raijin's mouth was his own, and yet it wasn't at the same time. It was Raijin's voice, but it was obviously Diablos that was speaking. "For the return of my beloved Voice, you will lay down your life."

"Seifer, no!" Zell exclaimed as the other man stepped out of Archimedes. He pulled out the survival knives that he always carried with them. For the last decade, Seifer had carried them around all the time because of their usefulness in terms of being an Alchemist, and he'd never thought he'd had to use them as a weapon against humans, especially against one of the best friends he'd ever known. Though Raijin had fallen on very hard times, Seifer still loved him, and he could taste his heartbeat on his tongue.

"Raijin," Seifer said quietly. Staring into that familiar, yet haunting face, he found it hard to maintain his composure. "I know this isn't you talking."

"I'm not listening to you," Raijin hissed. "I'm not listening to the bastard that stole Blackball from me. It's the only thing I have in my life. You saw to that!"

"You were the one that started taking it!" Seifer exclaimed angrily. Raijin advanced on him, and Seifer had to jump back to avoid having his throat slit. He slashed out with his knife to get Raijin back, and he also stepped back with quickness and grace that flew in the face of his sickly condition. This close to him, Seifer could pick up how badly Raijin smelled. It made his eyes water and his heart break. Raijin was getting help from Diablos with his fighting skills, Seifer was sure of that. "You were the one who threw everything away!"

"Just like you threw me away!!" Raijin screamed, slicing down with the sickles. Seifer hissed as the blade of one nicked his shoulder. He jumped back, aiming for Raijin's arm with his knife. He meant to cut Raijin's hand to make him drop one of the sickles, but he moved away too quickly. Raijin cut at Seifer's arm again, and it was deep enough that Seifer stumbled backwards, groaning in pain.

"Seifer!" Both Zell and Fujin called, wanting to go outside and help him. But, Tiamat's arm blocked their way.

"The danger is too great," she murmured.

"Then, help him!" Zell shouted angrily at her.

"I am currently junctioned to him. I cannot help unless he calls me."

"Fuck!" Zell cursed, watching as Seifer and Raijin had their blade fight. Seifer did eventually cut one of Raijin's hands deep enough that they could see blood spray out in the darkness. It made Raijin drop one of the sickles, and Seifer snatched it, so he was now more evenly matched. Squall also watched with rapt fascination as Seifer and Raijin had their fight. Squall could see the torture on Seifer's face, but could also see the sheer skill behind Seifer's motions. Raijin's were also full of fluid grace, but Squall knew that these were really Diablos's motions, and therefore not human.

Both men ducked and lunged towards each other, their hands, arms and cheeks covered in nicks and cuts. Raijin sliced with one of the sickles at Seifer's neck, and Seifer had to reel backwards to avoid being decapitated, and he stumbled. As he was falling, Raijin lunged on him. Seifer could see the glittering of his falsely black eyes. "How does it feel, _Raef_?" Raijin hissed, his free hand winding around Seifer's neck. "How does it feel to be on the losing end for once? No..... you've always been on the losing end!" Raijin was snarling, and spittle was falling on Seifer's cut cheeks.

"I know this isn't you, Raijin....!" Seifer trailed off, gasping because his throat was being crushed by Raijin's surprising strength.

"You were always a fucking loser, and you brought me down with you! You were a failure at Garden, you were a failure as a Witch's Knight. You failed at life, so you had to change your name. You even failed at your new life, and when I found something wonderful in my life, you had to fucking steal it from me!"

Seifer's vision was blacking out because of a lack of oxygen. He reached up and stabbed his knife into what meat was left on Raijin's bony shoulder. It caused his oldest friend to howl in pain, scuttling away like an insect. Seifer rolled over on the pavement, coughing and gagging. Raijin screamed like an animal as he pulled the knife out of his shoulder. Seifer had stabbed it deeply enough that it was embedded within bone. Raijin moved over with inhuman speed, the blade of the knife flashing in the moonlight. Seifer saw his own knife coming down, and tried to roll out of the way, but was too slow because he was still trying to get air into his body. He knew the feeling of being deeply stabbed from the times that monsters had gored him, so he knew this was bad when he felt it go in. Seifer tried to struggled and kick his long legs to get Raijin off him.

Raijin pushed the blade up through Seifer's side, cutting through muscle, which caused the pinned man to scream in pain. Raijin's Blackball eyes found Zell, blocked behind the strength of Tiamat's arm. "_Xhar lo'chrav Io veyixarha, doth kvacqua mei-xhul Ioe puvarmolar?" _He laughed, and it was all Diablos's voice, all Diablos's laugh. Though Zell couldn't understand Daeva's complex and ancient language, somehow he knew what was falling from Raijin's lips. It whispered in his head, and made him push at Tiamat's strong arm.

__

How about I bisect him, just like you did me?

"Seifer!" Zell screamed as he heard the other man scream again. It was like Raijin was stabbing him, too. Squall could only silently watch with wide eyes as Diablos smiled and laughed through Raijin's lips. "You chose the wrong side, Thuban." He shook his head. "Siding with _humans_....." Those black eyes stopped on Squall as Seifer's hands clawed up the road in pain. His fingers were bleeding because of the unforgiving surface, a couple of his nails having broken completely off his fingers. Daeva, in Raijin's skin, winked at Squall, and the scarred man was reminded of what Diablos had said to him before. _I grieve for your future, little kitty._

Seifer spit up blood, and Raijin leaned down, getting face to face with him. Seifer could smell the unwashed clothes and skin, and see that some of Raijin's teeth had fallen out, and a couple others were rotting in his mouth. It made his breath smell very bad. "Once you're dead, I can have my Blackball again."

One of Seifer's hands, clawing at nothing in his agony, found the hilt of one of the weapons Raijin had brought with him. He sliced the curved blade up, getting it right into Raijin's chest. Raijin howled, digging the hunting knife deeper into the meat of Seifer's side as Seifer pushed the blade in through the other man's breastbone. Raijin spit up blood all over Seifer's face and chest, and he screamed with two voices. The voice of a defeated demon, and his own lost voice.

"I won't let a human best me!" Diablos shrieked, his hand coming off the knife. Seifer grabbed at it, and pulled it out of his side. When Raijin's hands came around his throat, strong enough to snap Seifer's neck, Seifer stabbed the knife into Raijin's throat. He made an awful noise, eyes rolling back in his head. A distant scream of anger could be heard, but it wasn't coming from Raijin's body. Diablos relinquished control, and his powers left the scene in a fit of fury. Hot tears worked down Seifer's cheeks as Raijin's body collapsed on top of him. A long, last breath escaped from Raijin's lips, washing over Seifer's cheek. Seifer didn't care about his injury, only about how much it _hurt _that he'd just killed his best friend. He didn't care if he and Raijin hadn't seen each other in years. He would have always loved Raijin, and to have done this to him....

Seifer's arms came around Raijin, and he started weeping. The sobs shot through his whole body, the pain intense from the stab wound at his side. But, he didn't care. _Your nature has kome out again, my darling._ When Seifer heard _her_ voice in his head, especially at a moment like this, he started screaming, holding Raijin's body for dear life. He could hear people distantly calling his name, but he didn't care. How could he have done this?!

"Seifer!" Zell cried. He shoved past Tiamat, running out onto the street. "Squall, call an ambulance!"

Squall was briefly nailed to the spot, but heard Zell's request, and went over to the phone, doing as he was asked. He called for an ambulance, still a little shell-shocked. His thoughts about Seifer being a cold-blooded murderer now felt so wrong. Even when Raijin had been causing physical damage, Seifer had still hesitated hurting him back, though his death was probably a blessing, at least in Squall's estimation.

Zell had skidded on his knees to Seifer's position, not caring that the pavement had tore his jeans, or that his knees were now bleeding. He only cared about Seifer, and if he was okay. Zell pushed Seifer's shirt back to look at the wound, and pursed his lips. He wasn't a doctor or a Curist, but he knew that it was bad. Tiamat crouched beside them, her hands full of bandages and other things. "These are medical supplies. Here." She looked down at her Master sadly. "If only he had called me...."

"Seifer, can you hear me?" Zell asked, helping Seifer to a sitting position. Seifer was still gripping Raijin, and wasn't going to let go anytime soon. "Seifer....?" Zell whispered. "Can you hear me?"

Everything was distant to Seifer's ears. He could only really hear the blood leaving him from the wound in his side, and he could only hear the echo of Ultimecia's voice. He wasn't even really seeing colour. Only black and white, and the red of Raijin's blood on his hands. His eyes also saw Fujin. She was standing in the doorway, even as Squall gently pushed past her to come outside. The ambulance sirens were only white noise in his ears. Seifer stared at Fujin as Zell started to put pressure to his wound and Squall told the paramedics what had happened. He saw her claret eye, as red as Raijin's blood. He saw the horror there, and the... anger. He saw her mouth the single word "RAIJIN", and saw the accusation in her eye, all geared towards him. And, he felt that accusation in his heart, pointed at himself. Zell was whispering something in his ear, and then he heard nothing....

Cid was pacing in the study, waiting for any sort of news. Squall had phoned a while ago (it seemed like days), and said that Diablos had sent Raijin as an assassin to kill Seifer, and that Seifer was badly wounded, and that he'd killed Raijin. Cid had wanted to run right to the scene, but Squall said that they would be coming back to the manor, and not to leave because Diablos could be waiting to reveal more ugly plans. So, Cid was stuck here, waiting for news, completely useless to his son. He knew that Edea felt the same way. Useless, and like her heart was shattering. Every creak of the house, or every noise of people in other rooms made Cid whirl around to look at the door. Laguna was also in the room with them, sitting beside Edea on the loveseat, a thoughtful look on his face. Cid was glad that Laguna was there for them. What would he and Edea do if Seifer really died this time....? He didn't want to think about it, but it was a distinct possibility.

Cid heard footsteps in the hall, and eyed the doors intently. They opened, and Cid had never been so glad in his life when he saw Seifer walk through the doors. He was limping and his face was pale, but he was alive. Zell was walking beside him, looking up at Seifer's profile with a concerned look on his face. Squall also walked in, his hands clasped at his back, looking a little more emotional than he usually did.

"Thank Hyne!" Edea exclaimed, rising to her feet. She went across the room with speed, wrapping her arms around Seifer. "I'd feared the worst!

Seifer didn't say anything, or react to the embrace. He just stared straight ahead, only hearing Ultimecia's taunts, and only feeling Raijin's dried blood on his hands. Seifer heard her voice again and again. _It's your nature, my Knight. You're nothing without my power. You're nothing without me. Killing him is what you're bred to do. What I've made you. A perfekt monster._ They'd just come from the back of the ambulance, Seifer having been cleared by the paramedics. But, none of that mattered. He stepped back from Edea, closing his arms around himself. His eyes sought out the faces in the room. The pity on Squall's face was probably the worst one, especially because Seifer knew Squall was trying not to show any emotion either way, but it was coming out anyway. Zell's eyes were kind and loving, but that didn't warm the chill in Seifer's body.

"President Loire?" Seifer asked dully, none of his usual bravado or confidence in his voice. Only a dead drone of syllables. "Will you take me to Esthar, and get Her out of my body?"

"I promise I'll do anything I possibly can," Laguna said solemnly.

Seifer turned around, slowly walking back out of the room again. He shrugged Zell's hand off. "You may be able to get Ultimecia out of me, but you won't be able to cure me of what she's already made me."


	10. Chapter 10

****

Ten

Zell sat the tea-set down on the small table in the private compartment Seifer had holed himself in. Laguna hadn't wanted to be too conspicuous when he came to Timber, so rather than flying in an Esthar Airship, he'd come to Timber by train, and that's how they were all travelling back to the technological and futuristic masterpiece that was Esthar. Zell had gotten the tea from a cart, but had brought it in himself. He had the feeling that Seifer didn't want to even see an employee of the train, let alone anyone else. "Seifer?" Zell asked quietly. "I brought you some Shumi tea."

Seifer just kept staring out the window as the ocean whizzed by them on the Horizon Bridge.

"It will help relax you...." Zell offered, slowly taking one of Seifer's hands in his own, squeezing it.

"No thank you," Seifer finally answered. His voice was dull and dead, like it belonged coming from someone else. Someone like Squall, not like the always proud Seifer, who never let his emotions become a secret. Since Raijin's death, Seifer had barely spoken twenty words, not even to Zell. Fujin had stayed behind in Timber, but only if she promised Laguna to let some Esthar guards keep an eye on her. She hadn't said a single word to Seifer since that night, since witnessing Raijin's death by Seifer's hands. That must have taken a toll on Seifer, probably one as equal to Raijin's death itself. Seifer had never said it, but that accusation in Fujin's eyes had crushed him.

"Seifer...." Zell trailed off.

Seifer's eyes closed in pain, and he gave a look to Zell that was indescribable. It looked so much like he was in agony, and yet he looked angry at the same time. "I don't want your pity, Dincht."

"I'm not giving you my pity, Almasy." Zell's voice dropped to a mere whisper. "I'm giving you comfort, if you'll let me." He put his chin on Seifer's shoulder, giving him a slow and gentle kiss on the cheek.

Seifer sighed heavily as Zell's lips pressed to his skin. He couldn't stop the tear that trickled down his cheek, not when Zell's lips felt so comforting, so free of judgement against him. Only full of affection, affection that he didn't deserve. He tried to hold back the tears, taking in a very shaky breath. But, as it usually happens, when one tries to hold back tears, they just come out anyway. Seifer felt thin tracks of wetness course down his face, and when Zell's strong hands slid up onto his shoulders, they started shaking. Zell's arms wrapped tight around him, holding him close, and Seifer started to quietly cry. His fingers were still bound in bandages from where his nails had broken off clawing at the pavement as he was stabbed by his best friend. His side still ached dreadfully, but these injuries couldn't compared to the agony in his heart at what he'd done to Raijin, a man who had supported Seifer in his darkest hours. And, in Raijin's darkest hours, what had Seifer done? He'd so brutally murdered him, like he'd been nothing at all. Like he hadn't even been human.

"Shhhh," Zell cooed gently into Seifer's ear, stroking his back and shoulders. "Shhh, it's okay baby. It's okay."

"It is _not _okay!" Seifer exclaimed angrily, pulling away from Zell's comforting arms, even though most of him still wanted to have them wrapped around him. "You saw what I did, Zell! I murdered him...." Seifer stopped talking as he felt his voice become choked in his throat. "I murdered him...."

"You didn't murder him! Raijin was being controlled by Diablos! You would have died if you hadn't done something!"

"I still killed him, didn't I?" Seifer asked glumly, turning his dead green eyes to the sea below them once more. Zell thought that Seifer would fall into another morose silence, but he kept talking. "After Time Compression, things were in a bad way for me, but Raijin stood by me. Even though things were _so_ shitty, he stood by me. And, when things got shitty for him, where was I?" Seifer made a very bitter noise. "I abandoned him, and then killed him."

"You did not!" Zell exclaimed angrily, the hand that was still holding Seifer's constricting. Seifer's brow furrowed in pain, and Zell loosened his grip. "You did not," Zell repeated more quietly. "You spent a lot of money to get Raijin into a treatment clinic. _Twice._ You let him rob you, and you still helped him. Most other people would have turned him away long before that."

"I should have done everything I could have!" Seifer grated out through clenched teeth. "He deserved that much."

"You did do everything," Zell pointed out earnestly.

"If I did, then why did I see that anger in Fujin's eye?"

"She was just shocked. She'll come around."

Seifer then remained silent, staring out the window. Zell sighed and wrapped his arms around Seifer again, holding him tightly. He rested his cheek against the nape of Seifer's neck, smelling the scent of his skin. It was more than just a physical scent, the smell of someone that you cared deeply for. Zell sighed when his heart constricted in his chest. He squeezed Seifer tighter, as tight as he possibly could. Seifer grunted, but he didn't ask Zell to release him. He liked that substantial, strong and almost choking feeling of being so thoroughly held. He pressed his forehead to the glass, reaching a hand up to rest it on Zell's forearm. They sat in that silent embrace as the train moved along the Horizon Bridge, Fisherman's Horizon starting to come into view. As they got closer to Esthar, Seifer's stomach started to churn, and Zell's arms around him were the only thing that was keeping him grounded. He'd rather jump into the ocean below than face that city, but he also would rather face Esthar than another day with Ultimecia's voice echoing in his mind.

Zell felt Seifer stiffen up, and held the other man even tighter, if that was humanly possible. He kissed the side of Seifer's neck, and his cheek. Then, their lips met in a gentle kiss. Zell felt Seifer melt just a little, and that in itself was the perfect reward. They embrace, lips pressing together gently in butterfly kisses, Zell's knuckles stroking over Seifer's cheekbone, and Seifer's fingers tracing the lines of Zell's back. They tried to forget everything else, and only concentrate on each other, on how it felt to be with each other like this. It was an impossible task, but they tried anyway. But, the wonderful embrace ended when they heard the swishing sound of the private compartment's door sliding open. Instinctively, they broke apart, and Zell felt immediate shame for it. After all, he didn't want to hide anymore. He wanted the entire world to know how happy he was to be with Seifer like this, and yet he was pulling away at the fucking first sign that they might be caught.

"Don't worry!" Selphie exclaimed quietly, holding up her hands as she and Irvine came into the compartment. "It's only us." Selphie's jade eyes softened as she looked at Seifer. He saw that look in her eyes, the pity and sympathy, and gave her a withering, angry look, turning his peridot gaze back out to the sea, and Fisherman's Horizon that was approaching on the left. She sat across from Seifer and Zell, Irvine beside her. "How are ya feelin'?" She asked carefully.

Seifer kept staring out the window. "You don't have to treat me like glass," he muttered, iron in his voice.

"I don't mean to...." Selphie trailed off. "I just....."

Seifer just waved a dismissive hand.

"We should be in Esthar in about an hour," Irvine said quietly. "Laguna will be putting us up in the Palace."

Seifer made a noise in the back of this throat. It was a noise vaguely like detest.

"Let's talk about something else," Selphie suggested firmly, jabbing Irvine in the side with her elbow. "Like the two of you." She looked at Seifer and Zell.

Irvine groaned, rolling his periwinkle eyes. "Fishing for details, are you?"

"We're _definitely_ not going to talk about that," Zell said. Though, he couldn't help but look at Seifer out of the corner of his eye. And, he couldn't help that his cheeks felt warm and the corners of his lips turned up. Seifer had caught the smile in Zell's reflection in the window, and while he didn't smile himself, he did feel heat rise up into his cheeks. How would Seifer had felt, going to Esthar, if Zell weren't there with him? How would he have felt with all these emotions and fears running through him, if Zell weren't there beside him? He probably would have floundered, would have ran and gone into hiding again, too cowardly to stand against his ghosts alone. If Zell weren't here right beside him, Seifer would probably be moving along to another city, another life, leaving both Seifer Almasy and Raef Emaissyl far behind, becoming someone else, vainly hoping that _this time_, things would be better. But they wouldn't, and Seifer knew that. When he'd changed his name to Raef Emaissyl, he'd known that he was just running and not really solving the real problem. Like a coward. But, also like a coward, he hadn't cared. He'd wanted to _escape_, to bury his head in the sand. But, then.... what had the life of Seifer Almasy yielded him? He hadn't had anything to lose. Now.... He looked over to Zell, his heart feeling too big for his chest.

Zell and Selphie were talking about something. Seifer had been so lost in his head that he didn't know what they were discussing. From the sounds of it, they were talking about some nightspots in Esthar. Socializing and partying were the farthest thing from Seifer's mind. But, he also knew that even though Laguna was being kind enough to let them stay in the Presidential Palace, Seifer would try to stay away for as long as he could.

"Seifer...?" Zell asked gently, seeing that the other man looked quite distressed during a lull in his conversation with Selphie. Indeed, they were talking about clubs and restaurants and attractions in Esthar, things like malls, museums and antique markets. Zell hadn't been to Esthar in quite a while, and wanted to know some things to do from Selphie, who travelled away from Garden a lot more than he did. He wanted things that he and Seifer could do as a _couple._ Things they could do to distract Seifer's mind from Raijin's awful death and Odine's impending experiments. "Are you...." Zell stopped himself from asking if Seifer was okay. It was a stupid question, because Seifer was obviously not okay. "Don't worry. Adel's not in Esthar anymore."

Zell bit his lip at Seifer's reaction. He put his foot in his mouth _again._ Seifer's pale eyes flared angrily, and he started to get up out of his seat. Zell gripped his wrists, willing him to sit down. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "That was stupid of me to say."

Selphie cocked her head as Seifer eventually sat down, the anger receding a little from his face. "Zell does have a point though, Seifer. Esthar's not the same as Timber, or even Deling City or Dollet. Esthar, and all of its people, know a lot about magic and sorcery. They won't.... think badly of you. They'll understand, and they've probably forgiven what happened."

"Even if I haven't?" Seifer asked.

Selphie, Irvine and Zell were put into a state of silence. What could they say to that, after all?

"I guess I'm not very lively company," Seifer muttered, propping his chin on his fist, getting anxious as he saw the Great Salt Flats starting to pass them by. Zell wrapped his arms around Seifer's shoulder, whispering in his ear. "I shouldn't have mentioned Adel. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Seifer whispered back. They didn't care that Selphie and Irvine were sitting right across from them. "I'll have to hear her name again. Hyne... I'm going into Esthar. I'll have to face it."

"Odine may be a creep, but I'm sure he'll figure out what to do," Irvine pointed out.

Selphie just pursed her lips, and Zell noticed. He folded his hands in his lap as Seifer continued to silently stare out the window, lost in his own mind. "What?" Zell mouthed to her, but Selphie seemed to purposely be avoiding his gaze. Zell lightly kicked her shin, making a face. "What?" He asked in a sharp enough tone that Irvine looked up from playing with his watch band, and Seifer looked away from the window.

Selphie stared at Zell for a long time, frowning. Her eyes darted to Seifer, which the taller man noticed. "Well...." Selphie trailed off. "About Odine...."

"What about him?" Irvine asked, also looking over to Seifer. But, Seifer's face was blank.

"Yeah, he may find a way to fix this whole mess, but.... Odine's not always ethical, especially not when it comes to very powerful Witches. He'll be working on Edea and Rinoa, and also the former Knight of Ultimecia. I don't trust him not to get... greedy."

"But, I'm not a Sorcerer," Seifer pointed out.

"You think that matters?" Selphie asked. "I'm sure you know all about how he did things for Adel when she reigned Esthar."

"I may have seen some of it through Ultimecia's eyes," Seifer pointed out haltingly.

"This is probably all very fascinating to him, and something that's fascinating to Odine can't be a good thing." She shook her head. "Remember what he did with Elle?"

"Selphie," Zell hissed. "You're not helping."

Seifer just shrugged. "What? She's telling the truth."

"Though, I don't think Edea will let him do anything to you," Selphie also ventured.

Zell frowned at her, and looked at Seifer out of the corner of his eye, looking for a reaction. But, Seifer's face was closed.

"Perhaps," was Seifer's cryptic answer. Seifer felt a shiver go down his spine when the shadow of the buildings of Esthar came into view. They were coming so close. So close, so fast.... Seifer could just wait until the train stopped, and then just get on the next train back to Timber. He knew that this was something he had to do, but that didn't make him all the less nervous. He'd spent the last ten years trying to forget things like Lunatic Pandora and the Lunar Cry, and the memories were all washing back instantaneously. He gripped the armrests tightly, so tightly that it was hurting his hands. But, Esthar was still coming up so fast. The shapes and shadows of the skyline started to turn into actual buildings, the sun shining off their glass surfaces in an almost blinding fashion, the magic that powered everything emitting a glow in a shade that was known as Esthar blue, specifically because it was such a unique colour. Seifer had to close his eyes when a pleasant female voice announced "Attention Passengers; we will be arriving at Selbina Station in approximately fifteen minutes. We hope you have enjoyed your journey."

Zell wanted to ask if Seifer was okay, but he was sure the other man was quite sick of hearing that question. Instead, they all remained silent until the train slowed to a stop at the station, right in the heart of Esthar. Seifer's heart leapt in his chest, and he could actually taste bile in his mouth. Hyne, how on earth was he going to be able to do this? He noticed that Selphie, Irvine and Zell were all looking at him with concern and curiosity. Probably wondering if he was going to have a major freak-out. That look in their eyes gave him the resolve to stand up. Whatever meagre belongings Seifer had packed would be delivered right to the Palace, so he only had to worry about that trip into the heart of Esthar. He straightened his back and left their compartment. That look in their eyes made him not want to be a prisoner of his own memories.

Seifer's resolve only grew when, in the hallway, he spotted Squall, standing there like a sentry. Probably waiting to see if Seifer would fail at this attempt to enter the city of the Sorceress. "Really, Squall..." Seifer drawled out, his voice not telling of the butterflies in his stomach. "I don't need an escort."

Squall just stared patiently at Seifer. Squall was indeed curious about Seifer's reaction to Esthar. Squall himself also had a lot of bad memories of this place, most of them centring around Seifer. But, not all of them... After all, Seifer had nothing to do with Laguna being absent from his life as a child. Esthar is where Laguna had dropped that bombshell. Actually, Squall knew that he and Seifer were in the same sort of situation there. Squall had ten years to soften the blow of knowing that your parent was alive and you'd grown up without them, but Seifer had just found out recently. And, coupled with what had happened with Raijin, Squall felt a little of his distrust and distaste for Seifer melting away. And, there was also Rinoa's prodding. She had the most reason to hate Ultimecia's former knight, and yet she felt sympathy for him. Pity, even. Though, Seifer would hate to hear that last one, Squall knew very well.

Seifer frowned at Squall, who just continued to look at him in that almost vapid way he had. It meant that he was in deep thought. Seifer and Squall may have always had a rivalry between them, but while they were students at Garden, Squall was the person that Seifer had _known_ best. Because they had been so similar. Perhaps that's where so much of Seifer's anger towards the other man was bred from. "What are you thinking, Squall? You have that look on your face."

"Odine won't be able to start until morning," Squall stated. "So, you'll be stuck in the city until then."

Seifer just raised an eyebrow, knowing that definitely wasn't what the other man had been so lost in thought about. "Well, thanks for the head's up," Seifer said insincerely. He walked past Squall, wanting to get this agonizing trek through the city over with.

Squall then watched as Selphie and Irvine walked out of the compartment that Seifer had come from. They were pressed close together, talking lowly amongst themselves. Selphie looked up when she saw Squall and gave him a cheery smile, lightly punching him in the shoulder as they passed. Squall caught a snippet of their conversation, but it was only about what they were going to do for that evening. Zell came out last, looking troubled and thoughtful. Squall's brow creased with confusion as Zell just kind of smiled weakly at him, but kept walking. Squall looked over his shoulder as Zell jogged past Selphie and Irvine, catching up with Seifer. Zell didn't seem to say anything to the other man, but they walked side-by-side, as if it where wholly comfortable and natural. Squall just didn't understand. Zell had always hated Seifer, and what could they possibly have in common? Squall had always been the one in Garden that was most like Seifer, and Zell and he couldn't be more different. But, a voice in Squall's mind pointed out that this wasn't all true. He started walking, coming up out of Selbina Station to the familiar sight of Esthar. It was quite a majestic picture, but Squall was so used to it that the elegance and wonder was quite lost on him. Squall watched Seifer's back carefully, looking for his reaction to really being in Esthar again. Seifer's broad back was held very stiffly, but he still bravely walked, Zell beside him.

Squall shook his head, not bothering to wait for Rinoa. She would go to the Palace with Laguna and the others. He often took solitary walks in the city, so it was something she'd be used to. Besides Seifer, there were other things that were weighing heavily on Squall. One was what Diablos had said to him. _I grieve for your future, little kitty._ But, there was also another very human issue that Squall was thinking about. Lately, Rinoa had started talking about having children. He knew that she wanted them, but he was hesitant. He barely had time for his wife as it was, so could he have time for a son or daughter? And.... could he really _be_ a father? Well, Squall was sure that the idea of being a grandfather would please Laguna greatly. But, he didn't know if he was ready to be a father, or even if he wanted to. He found himself walking around the commercial section of the city that housed a lot of shops that dealt with magic. Half the shops weren't very reputable. Some people found the area of Esthar known as Crimson Sector a little scary, but Squall never found it dangerous. It was called Crimson Sector because the Esthar blue wasn't blue, but rather a purplish red, due to the different spells that powered lights here. This was a place where one could buy almost anything related to magic, even things that were supposed to be outlawed. Things like the trading of Xiphias bone marrow. Xiphias were an endangered fish, and selling any bi-products of them was illegal. Though, magical people or those who dealt in potions like Alchemists, Runecasters and the like, hailed the bone marrow for its properties in black spell-casting.

There were also shops that had things like shrunken heads in their windows, or Behemoth skulls next to a whole human skeleton. Squall stopped at a bazaar table when he saw a necklace made of phoenix pinions. "Wards off evil spirits, it does..." the old woman behind the table cooed, seeing that Squall was looking at it. "Ah, sir!" She exclaimed to a man standing beside Squall, looking at a pointed quill that seemed like it was made of bone. "An excellent piece. Ancient priests used these as earrings. It helped them communicate with the spirits better, to hear the voices of the high priest who gave this bone." Squall wondered if that story was even true. He looked over at the man, seeing that he had his face oddly painted. His skin was dark brown, nearly black. He was wearing a necklace that also looked like it was made of bone, and he turned the quill over in his black palms. His face was painted as a skeleton, and he was shirtless and wearing some sort of skirt type thing. Squall didn't profess to know everything about the world, so assumed that this guy was a priest in some sort of cult or underground religion. After all, not all of the world followed the same teachings of Hyne.

When the man's eyes slid over to Squall, they were as black as night, and sent a shiver down Squall's spine. Those eyes stared at him for a while, never wavering off Squall's face as he pushed some gil into the old woman's palm for the bone earring. The man's fingernails were pure white, shining as if they were lacquered like that. His lips, which had black lines painted in the white to resemble skeleton teeth, turned up in a slight smile, and the man inclined his head in a brief nod to Squall. Befuddled, Squall nodded back, but felt shaken somehow. He walked away from the table, feeling the weight of that gaze still on him. Squall felt like he couldn't look away, and bumped into a withered old man who was coming out of an items store. Squall turned away from that glittering, dark gaze, and walked up the street, still feeling those eyes on him, like a knife between his shoulders.

Squall let out his breath, searching for the real reason he'd come to Crimson Sector. There was a bookshop here. Diablos's words plagued Squall, and he knew all the books at the Palace regarding Guardian Forces would have been slanted to Odine's research. Squall entered the store, called Charvarl Books, and started looking at the shelves. Nearly all the books were magic related, and he found a couple books. One about the art of Summoning, and another very thick volume about gods and goddesses through the ages. After all, since the GF would have existed for so many years, they very well could have been worshipped in ages past. The books cost a lot of money, but Squall didn't care. He was very wealthy, and he probably could have even gotten them for free if he'd mentioned he was the son of the President. But, that was one thing he never brought up. Squall definitely was not the boasting kind. The books were put in a cloth bag for him, and as he opened the shop to head back into the city, he saw that same strange man with his painted face standing across the way, those black eyes watching Squall.

This time, the man wasn't alone. He was standing beside a child with silver hair and eyes too blue to be real. Squall hadn't been at the party at Daeva's when Manannan had been there, so this child's face was unfamiliar to him. The weight of this child's eyes was heavier than the man with the painted face. Squall felt it like an anvil on his chest. The child then craned his head up, and whispered something in the dark man's ear, who nodded and kept staring at Squall, as if he was very interesting indeed. Squall started walking up towards 12 Sector, where he knew he could get a telepod to the Palace. For the first time, Squall actually felt afraid to be in Crimson Sector.

Laguna looked up from his desk when he heard the door opening. Kiros came gliding in. Gliding was the appropriate word, since every move he made was with complete fluidity and grace. Laguna hadn't been doing any work, but had been staring off into space. There were papers laid out in front of him, but he wasn't paying them any attention. Papers and Laguna Loire just didn't mix. Kiros just stared at him for a while with patient brown eyes, until Laguna grumbled and said "what are you _staring _at, man?!"

"Edea's outside, and she wants to see you."

Laguna scowled. "So? Why didn't you let her in?"

Kiros just raised his eyebrows, leaning forward. His small braids, bound with gold and bronze beads, slid down over his shoulder. "I know what you're doing, Laguna."

"I...I, uh... don't know what you're talking about...." He stammered.

Kiros rolled his eyes, one hand on the back of Laguna's chair, the other splayed on the desk. "She's a married woman, Laguna."

"How do you know we're doing anything?" Laguna asked. "We're just friends."

"I'm not stupid," Kiros replied smoothly. "I know you so well, Laguna. I can see it in your eyes. That same look you had with Raine. I would say Julia, but I don't think you really loved her like you loved Raine, like you're falling in love with Edea."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Laguna said again, his voice now calm and frosty. "I am not in love--"

"Your left eyebrow is twitching," Kiros pointed out casually. "You're lying." Kiros then rose to full height, walking towards the door. "I hope you know what you're doing," he muttered before leaving. Edea came in, passing Kiros and smiling weakly. From the way that Kiros currently looked at her, she had a feeling he knew about what was going on between her and Laguna. Or, at least had a pretty accurate idea.

"He knows, doesn't he?" She asked quietly as Laguna ran shaky hands through his grey and black hair.

"I didn't tell him," Laguna muttered. "He just....." He sighed. "I guess he could read it on my face. I find it hard to hide how I feel about you."

Edea folded her hands in front of her belly, pursing her darkly painted lips in determination. "Well you'll just have to, Laguna."

He stared at her with a measure of surprise. "Huh?"

"We can't do this anymore." Her voice was very sure and powerful, but inside she was shaking and melting. "I'm married, and I will stand by my husband. I will work with him to repair the damaged relationship with our son."

Laguna sighed heavily, holding his head in his hands. "I know, I know." They were silent for a long time, and Laguna finally looked up at her when he thought he could handle it without coming undone. "So, what about tomorrow?"

"You mean about Odine?" Edea asked wearily, knowing very well of Laguna's dislike for the odd little man. She herself had the same reservations about him, but would let Odine do anything to her if it meant ridding Seifer of this nightmarish ghost. She wanted to help him, at least it would help towards trying to make up how she's hurt him so. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous...."

Laguna stood up quickly, stalking around his desk to her position. "I won't let that freaky little troll do anything to you!" He exclaimed hotly. "I won't let him hurt Rinoa or Seifer, or especially you!" He seized Edea by her shoulders. "I won't let him hurt the woman I love!" Laguna spit this out before he could stop himself, and felt immediately foolish for doing so.

"Laguna," Edea said a little angrily. "I told you..."

"I don't care!" He exclaimed. "Touching you like this.... being with you. I can't give it up, Edea. I know you're married, but I love you. I'm the one that understands you."

"Don't!" Edea shouted at him, taking a step backwards. "Don't do this to me, Laguna!"

"But, you feel the same way I do."

"I can't think about that now....." She sighed heavily as Laguna gripped her shoulders again. Her shouts became mere whispers. "I... I have to think about... about Cid...."

"I know," Laguna replied desperately, his voice just as quiet as hers.

"You don't love me, Laguna." Edea shook her head. Her voice sounded unsure, more like she was trying to convince herself rather than him. "It's just infatuation." She looked at a spot somewhere beyond his shoulder rather than his eyes when she said this.

Laguna roughly cupped the sides of her face, forcing her to face him. "Tell me that when you're looking in my eyes, Edea."

She shoved him away. "Stop it!" She exclaimed, some of her power starting to leak into the air. "We can't do this!"

Laguna frowned angrily, staring at her stiffly-held back. "Do you really think I want it to be like this, Edea? I don't want to break up your marriage!"

"And, yet...." She turned around to face him. "It's happening because we're both too weak to prevent it."

Laguna felt his eyes brimming with tears. He knew what he and Edea were doing was so very wrong, and yet he didn't want it to end, and he _knew_ that Edea didn't, either. "Maybe it's weak, but do you really want to walk out of this office, and go back to just being friends?"

"We could never go back to the way things were."

"Well, then do you really want to walk out of this office, and never see each other again?"

"I..... I have to think about Seifer....."

"I'm not asking you not to."

"You're asking me to continue being unfaithful to my husband, though."

Laguna sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead wearily. "No, I'm not asking that, Edea. I'm asking you to figure out what your heart wants."

"The heart isn't always right, Laguna. You know that." She turned around to face him, and it was a mistake. When she'd had her back to him, she'd been able to be cold and thoughtful about the situation. But, when looking at his kind eyes and handsome face, that resolve she'd been building crumbled. How could things feel so right, but be so horribly wrong? She sighed heavily, her eyes brimming with tears the same as Laguna's were. There had been some space between them, and Edea covered it in three quick strides, her and Laguna collapsing into each other's arms. His strong arms, the ones that quickened the beat of her heart, that crushed her with guilt. The way his hands moved over her body as their lips found each other was like a drug, like her own version of Blackball. She and Laguna slumped against his desk, even though both knew it was wrong. And, yet they didn't want to stop. Maybe they couldn't stop.

Once off the train at Selbina Station, Seifer had started to walk towards the Palace, but just being in the city made his skin crawl with black memories. Instead, he walked the length of the train from the outside, to where they were unloading luggage. He stopped there, asking them for the hefty black case that carried not only Hyperion, but his other weapons, too.

"Seifer?" Zell asked, a little confused. "They'll take the luggage up to the Palace."

"I'm not going to the Palace," Seifer muttered, his eyes steely behind his glasses as he opened the case. The employees stepped back when Seifer started pulling out a small arsenal of weapons.

"Sir!" One of them exclaimed, eyeing Seifer warily. "You cannot carry weapons within the city of Esthar without a permit."

Seifer reached into his pocket with one hand as he strapped a machete to his inner forearm. He pulled out his Alchemist's certificate, which looked similar to a military ID or SeeD card, and handed it to them.

"Seifer, what are you doing?" Zell asked, hands on his hips and he looked down with a little wonder at how many weapons Seifer had managed to pack into that case. Most of them were edged weapons. He only had one firearm. A black metal handgun.

"You were there when I did inventory, Zell. There are a lot of monsters around here that I can get items out of."

The train employee handed Seifer back his card. "Very well then. We'll take the rest of your things up to the Palace."

"You're not going by yourself, are you?" Zell asked, but it was phrased more like a statement.

"I always go by myself," he answered as he finished strapping weapons to himself. Hyperion was on his back, and he had knives sheathed at his hips, as well as strapped to his forearms and throwing darts strapped to his thigh. He put the black pistol in the holster under his left arm. He started walking up the highroad towards the entrance to the city, where he knew he could rent a car. Seifer hadn't been in the city for years, but still knew his way around. Esthar's highroads and clean glass buildings would be forever engrained into his memory.

Zell jogged alongside Seifer's quick and long strides. "Can I come, too?"

"Wanna keep an eye on me?" Seifer asked blankly. He was both flattered and annoyed. Flattered that Zell wanted to come with him, to be with him. Annoyed because he didn't need a babysitter. The monsters around Esthar may have been dangerous, but Seifer faced dangerous monsters all the time.

"You really think you should leave the city?" Selphie called before Seifer and Zell got out of earshot. Both knew she was referring to Diablos.

"I have Tiamat!" Seifer called, not looking over his shoulder. He came to the car rental center, Zell still beside him.

"No," Zell muttered. "Can I come?" He asked again.

"Why?"

"Because I want to fight monsters with you," was Zell's simple answer. "I... miss that, you know? Fighting monsters."

Seifer regarded the other man for a few silent moments. "Fine. I would hope a SeeD Captain would be able to hold his own." Seifer turned to the desk clerk, looking down at the touch screen which showed the various car models. He chose a rugged truck, one that could carry back items and large pieces of monster carcasses. It was rolled out as Seifer paid, and he got behind the wheel, Zell quickly behind him. Seifer immediately felt better as they sped away from the city, heading into the barren wasteland of the Great Plains of Esthar. Seifer knew to find Behemoths, Iron Giants and Malboros, he would have to head down towards Tears Point, another place that brought back some bad memories. He stopped the truck a few miles from Tears Point, getting out. He sat on the hood of the truck, just staring across the plains to the shadowy form of the Point.

Zell also got out, sitting beside Seifer on the truck's hood. Though, he did it less gracefully than Seifer, since the truck was high, and Zell was much shorter than the other man. He draped his arm across Seifer's shoulder, pulling him close to his own body. He kissed Seifer's temple, looking out to Tears Point as well. They remained silent for a while, Zell knowing that this was hard for Seifer. "What now?" He eventually asked, mouth still pressed to Seifer's skin.

"Just wait. The monsters would have been scared off by the engine. We'll just wait for them to start moving out again." Seifer sat in silence for a while, watching the sun play on the parched plains. "Whenever you see a Torama, head straight for it. They're an item goldmine."

Zell just nodded, hoping he did run into a million Toramas, and not very many Behemoths. Though he was certain of Seifer's battle capabilities, as well as his own, Behemoths weren't something to mess around with.

"There." Seifer pointed across the dusty landscape to where there was a shadowy form moving as if liquid. Zell's heart plummeted a little. He would have rather a Behemoth instead of the Malboro that Seifer had just pointed out. Seifer must have noticed the expression on Zell's face, because he bumped his shoulder against Zell's and laughed quietly in the back of his throat. Zell immediately looked up at the noise, because he hadn't heard Seifer laugh in a couple of days. "You don't have to look so scared, Chicken-Wuss."

Zell made an angry noise and vaulted off the hood of the car. "Scared? Of a Malboro? Pffft."

"When was the last time you actually _fought _a Malboro, Zell?" Seifer also vaulted himself off the hood of the car, pulling Hyperion off his back.

"Err...." It was a bad sign that Zell had to think about it.

Seifer just raised a pale eyebrow. "Exactly. Now, it's not like it's gonna run from us. The bastard's probably already seen us. Just try to stay at its back so you can't get hit by Bad Breath, and we should be okay."

"_Should _be?" Zell asked, apprehension starting to rise in him. "You don't sound very confident."

"Just come on." Seifer started running towards the Malboro, Zell calling after him before breaking into a run himself. As they got closer, Zell was a little alarmed by the size of the Malboro. Indeed, it had been a while since he'd even seen one, let alone fought one. The creature's tentacles swished angrily as the long blade of Hyperion stabbed through its back, beneath its large head.

"Get behind it!" Seifer barked at Zell as the Malboro turned around and concentrated on him. Seifer would use himself as the bait so Zell could attack from behind. After all, he was used to Malboro poisoning. All Alchemists were. It came with the territory. The monster hissed angrily, baring its many sharp teeth as Zell got it with some forceful attacks. The Malboros tentacles were flailing wildly in its anger as it cast its infamous attack. Seifer had many protections against status effects, but the Bad Breath still stung his eyes painfully, blinding him with the pain and making hot tears work out of his eyes. He unsheathed the knife strapped to his left forearm and threw it right at the monster. True, he couldn't see well, but it's hard to miss a large monster standing right in front of you. The knife went straight into the Malboro's large mouth, getting the back of its throat. The blow wasn't nearly enough to kill a monster of this size and power, but it was enough to stun the creature for a few moments.

"Seifer, drop back!" Zell called. He couldn't see Seifer around the Malboro's bulk, and he didn't want to hit the other man with the spell he was charging. Zell still had Ifrit junctioned to him, which was something he was glad of, but something he was also wary of. After all, they were learning new and frightening things about Guardian Forces every day, so who was to say that Ifrit wasn't also as evil as Diablos. But, the fire Summon had yet to fail Zell. Magic was something that Zell had worked on in the last ten years. Magic related studies had always been his weakest classes at Garden, and there were times that pure brute force didn't help you, and he hated being stuck, relying on others, in those types of situations. He would never be as strong with magic as someone like Selphie or Quistis, but he was greatly improved.

Seifer ran back about fifteen meters as Zell cast Ultima. The Malboro screamed in its awful voice as the powerful spell hit it, and Seifer ran back forward, Hyperion out. The spell was still being cast, but he ran into it anyway, feeling the tingle of the black magic on his skin like he'd walked into a cloud of hungry insects. He pushed against this feeling, against the wall of magic, and sliced at the large monster, stabbing into and around its massive, stretched mouth. Fire magic was one of Seifer's strong points, so he let out a trio of very strong Firaga spells on the heels of a second Ultima spell from Zell. Hyperion's sharp blade dug into muscle and bone, right up through the roof of the Malboro's mouth and into its brain. It shrieked, and Seifer and Zell were both knocked backwards by thickly muscled tentacles that were writhing as the Malboro screamed in pain. It let out a wave of Bad Breath again, and Seifer felt dizzy as he got a large cloud of it right in the face. One of the tentacles slapped him back a good ten meters, Hyperion flying from his hands. This was quite the nasty Malboro. Seifer's eyes were streaming with tears from the Bad Breath, but he saw Zell still attacking the creature.

"Zell!" Seifer called, pulling out his pistol. He threw it as hard as he could towards the other man, the motion making him have to kneel and vomit with the familiar nausea of Malboro poisoning. Seifer had customized the bullets for his gun. Each were infused with magic stones bespelled with different elements through crystals and elemental items. He heard the loud sound of the gun being shot over the Malboro's screams, and then the loud thud of the monster falling over.

Seifer felt his tear-streaked cheeks behind wiped by gentle hands. The stinging in his eyes vanished with the pass of Zell's fingers, who had cast Esuna on him. "Are you sure we should be going after Malboros?" Zell asked, watching with concern as Seifer rose to his feet. But, the other man seemed fine. "That was too close."

"I've had worse," Seifer muttered as Zell handed the gun back. "Thanks." He was saying thanks for more than Zell just giving his gun back. "You okay?"

"Fine." A bemused smile passed over Zell's mouth, and he reached up to squeeze Seifer's upper arm with affection. "I think it ate your knife, though."

Seifer shrugged, walking over to the carcass. "I'll get it out." He took Hyperion, and started hacking at the tentacles, cutting them away from the body. Seifer handed Zell one of his many knives. "Don't just stand there."

Zell started to help Seifer cut away the tentacles, an appalling smell coming from the dead monster. By the time they were done, there was a large pile of Malboro tentacles beside the ravaged corpse. But, Zell saw that Seifer wasn't done. He started cutting into bone and meat, pulling out things that Zell wasn't sure of, also coming away with his knife from deep within the Malboro's gullet. Seifer was covered in greenish blood by the time he was done, out of breath but looking satisfied. "Okay, a few more Malboros should take care of tentacles. Help me carry these."

"A few more?" Zell asked, sighing as he lifted a bunch of tentacles, some of which were still twitching, to Zell's disgust.

"Yes, a few more." Seifer dumped the tentacles in the back of the sturdy truck. Now Zell knew why he didn't drive a sporty little Tempest, like Squall had. "This is an all day task, Dincht. If you want, you can head back to the city."

"I'll stay." The idea of fighting more Malboros didn't fill Zell with joy, but being with Seifer did. And, he also knew that if he went back, he'd do nothing but pace in the Palace, worrying about how Seifer was doing anyway.

Luckily, they didn't find another Malboro for a few hours, which gave Zell time to get back into monster-fighting shape by absolutely kicking the asses of Toramas, Imps and Mesmerizes galore, as well as even a couple small Behemoths. Zell was also learning things, because Seifer would explain some of the things he was taking from monster carcasses. Apparently, Mesmerize blood was what made a Phoenix Down liquid. Seifer also said that it was supposed to be an aphrodisiac.

"Really?" Zell asked with an interested, sultry tone.

"Don't get your hopes up. It's as much an aphrodisiac as oysters or oregano." Seifer looked at Zell for a while. "At least I'm not boring you."

"Not at all," Zell assured as they surveyed the plains around them again. "It's all very interesting."

"Yeah, you always liked absorbing knowledge," Seifer said quietly. "Always hanging around the library, reading ferociously."

"You noticed that?"

"I did." Seifer looked around them, seeing that it was starting to get dusky. More monsters would come out with the setting of the sun. "A lot of the school thought you were rather unintelligent."

Zell just shrugged, but that was a fact. Something that angered him, actually. "Maybe."

"I think you wanted them to think that," Seifer mused, wiping some monster blood off one of his knives. "It gave you a measure of privacy."

"Everyone thought I was in the library all the time because of Duranda. The library girl," Zell pointed out, not sure if Seifer knew who he was talking about. He actually hadn't thought of her in years. She'd never really loved him, and he definitely hadn't loved her. She had thought it was love, but it was really just a crush. It hadn't ended very well.

"I know who she is," Seifer said. "I also think you let people think you were there to see her on purpose."

"I didn't realize you noticed so much about me."

"I may have been an asshole, but I wasn't blind."

Zell was suddenly struck by how deeply personal this conversation actually was. Seifer had really noticed all those things about him, things nobody else had noticed, not even Zell's closest friends. He wrapped one arm around Seifer's waist, turning himself against Seifer's body so that their chests were pressed together. Zell rested his cheek against Seifer's shoulder, sighing. He felt Seifer's hand rest at the small of his back, but still felt Seifer's neck move with the turns of his head, his eyes still smartly watching out for monsters.

"There," Seifer whispered. Zell pulled away, albeit reluctantly. "Behemoth." He pointed, looking down into Zell's eyes. "Ready?"

"You know it," Zell said with a smirk, left hand punching his right palm.

They were both on a fighting roll by now, so the Behemoth went down rather easily, even though it was still a challenging creature to fight.

"I've missed this," Zell said as he caught his breath, wiping some blood off the tattooed side of his face.

"Missed what?" Seifer asked, the sickening crack of bones breaking filling the now night air. Zell flinched a little. He also started to feel a little queasy at the sound of Seifer ripping muscles off the bones of the carcass.

"Fighting monsters," Zell answered carefully, making a face as a small geyser of blood came out from the Behemoth.

Seifer couldn't help but laugh as he snapped the heavy skull off the spine. Behemoth skulls were one of those things that rich weirdoes buy to decorate their walls, and paid through the nose for them. Seifer could pay three month's rent on the shop for the cost of one. And, the Crimson Sector in Esthar was always in the market for them, too. "I never knew you were so... _delicate_, Dincht."

"What are you talking about?" Zell asked defensively, making a point not to stare at Seifer ripping the muscles away from the skeleton.

"Am I grossing you out, Zell?" He cocked his head and laughed again, finally satisfied that he'd collected all he could.

"It's nice to hear you laugh," Zell said quietly.

Seifer sighed heavily, thinking of all the things that had prevented him from smiling or laughing in the past day or two.

"Shit," Zell cursed, going over to Seifer, not caring that he was covered in dried and wet monster blood. "I'm sorry, babe. I always say the wrong fucking things." He put his hands on Seifer's shoulders, looking at him with concern.

"Don't worry about it," Seifer said with a strained voice. "I just wish you all wouldn't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like I'm going to fall apart," Seifer muttered. He hated them looking at him like this, because he felt it. Seifer knew he was teetering on the brink of a breakdown, and Zell and the others looking at him as if it was going to happen any moment didn't help his frame of mind. "Like I'm weak and frail, and in need of pity and charity."

"I don't think any of those things," Zell pointed out as Seifer finished loading up the truck. Seifer got in, sitting behind the wheel. Zell also got in, but stopped Seifer from starting up the engine. "You know I don't. I don't think I know anyone who is less weak and frail than you are. Look at all you've had to survive through. All of these so-called strong people would break after a day of that kind of suffering, let alone a decade of it. And, I don't pity you, or think you're a charity case. I'm _worried_ about you because I _care_ about you!"

Seifer stared at Zell for a few moments, taken aback by the violence of his declaration. It meant the world to him, that Zell felt so strongly. It made him feel full in such empty times. Seifer quickly leaned across the seats, capturing Zell into a strong kiss. Zell quickly pulled Seifer into a tight embrace, arms like a vice around Seifer's waist. They were at the point of their very new relationship when every time they touched, it was like an explosion of sexual desire. Though the front of the truck was rather cramped, they still tangled together, Zell sliding like liquid into Seifer's lap. Seifer's back was pressed firmly to the driver's side door as Zell's hands started to tug at his shirt, as their tongues filled each other's mouths. Zell groaned when Seifer's hand found his genitals, and squeezed them through Zell's pants. As their mouths smashed against each other with the force of their desire, Seifer's fingers traced the shape of Zell's testicles, and the growing hardness of his penis. He became rather fascinated with feeling every nuance of Zell's hardening erection with his fingers, even though he'd felt such a thing before.

Zell was groaning into Seifer's mouth, Seifer's fingers teasing him beyond what Zell could handle. He felt himself being pushed backwards, and wound up on his back, Seifer between his legs. Zell's shirt was pulled open, and Seifer started moving his mouth down Zell's body, kissing and licking down the exposed line of his chest. When Zell's pants were opened, and Seifer's breath and tongue started to play on the sensitive head, Zell's hands crawled down the passenger side window that was now behind his head, and dug into the seat. Seifer's tongue just briefly touched him, and Zell shuddered with desire. When the tip of Seifer's tongue touched him again, probing his urethra, Zell let out a low groan, almost a whimper. Seifer's hand started jerking Zell off, his other hand massaging Zell's testicles. Zell's eyes were rolling into the back of his head, and he was whimpering, lost in lust. There were times when Zell felt horny, but could go all night, and there were other times where he felt like even the smallest touch would make him have an orgasm that could very well kill him. This felt like the latter. Seifer's hands on him, and the teasing of his tongue, were a pleasure overload. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if Seifer's tongue wasn't teasing him so mercilessly. Seifer's tongue touched the tip of his erection, slid down the shaft, traced the veins, but didn't stay on Zell for long. Zell groaned and tried to force his hips up towards Seifer's mouth, but he was being rendered completely helpless by Seifer's hands stroking him. He could only really lay back under Seifer's mercy.

When Seifer's mouth finally surrounded his penis, Zell moaned loud enough that he was sure all the monsters in the plains could have heard him. Seifer pulled away, looking up at Zell and laughing quietly to himself. "Nice to know you're enjoying yourself." He slowly started kissing Zell's testicles and the shaft of his penis, knowing he was being a complete tease. Zell started cursing him out, and it just made Seifer laugh again. Zell gasped when Seifer's mouth surrounded him again, gasped like someone who had been drowning and finally tasted oxygen again. He gasped and moaned, repeated Seifer's name over and over again, moaned his _lover's_ name until Seifer's hands and mouth brought and orgasm from his body. Zell groaned and panted, the orgasm so strong that it was painful. He was almost to the point of sobbing and begging Seifer to stop because his penis was just so sensitive. He was still panting and moaning quietly even when Seifer pulled away and sat up. He ran his hands up Zell's chest, who slowly pulled himself to a sitting position, eyes still glazed. Zell's glassy eyes slid shut when Seifer's arms wrapped around him in the most gentle hug he'd ever been part of. He held Seifer back, his whole body still shivering from his orgasm, Zell not wanting this embrace to ever end. Zell stroked his hands through Seifer's hair as they held each other, and he felt Seifer's shoulders shaking a little. "It's okay...." Zell mused, his voice not really working yet, holding Seifer tighter. He wasn't sure what exactly had upset Seifer, but there were so many things crashing down around him that it was more than understandable.

Seifer pulled away, straightening his clothing. Zell started to do the same, seeing that while Seifer hadn't started crying, his eyes did look a little bloodshot. "I'm fine," he said, but his voice sounded a little choked. "It's just... this place, that's all."

"It's just a city, Seifer."

Seifer put his hands on the steering wheel, gripping it tightly. "I know that," he lied.

"You're not the same person you were, Seifer." Zell slid across the seats, covering Seifer's hands with his own. "You have every reason in the world not to see Esthar again, baby. But... I know that you're stronger than a memory. You're stronger than Ultimecia. You're strong enough not to let a city beat you."

"Am I?" Seifer asked bitterly. "I sure don't fucking feel like it."

"It's not like you're alone, either." Zell squeezed Seifer's hands for emphasis. "And, Selphie and Irvine are there for you, too."

"What about Fujin?" was Seifer's bitter question.

"She loves you. She's just... shocked. You also have Headmaster Cid and Matron."

Seifer made an angry noise in the back of his throat.

"I know you're mad at them, but they're on your side, if you'll let them."

The brunette sighed heavily, pitching forward so his forehead was resting on his knuckles. "I know, but.... it hurts, Zell. They lied to me for 28 _years._ It fucking hurts."

"I know," Zell whispered into Seifer's ear, kissing the side of his face a few times. "But, they're still your parents."

Seifer didn't respond to that.

"They're not asking you to love them overnight, but maybe just understand a little, and accept."

"In theory, that would be an easy task if every time I looked at Edea, I didn't see Ultimecia."

"Matron isn't Ultimecia!" Zell exclaimed quietly on her behalf. "She suffered too. She asked about you all the time in the past 10 years whenever she came to Garden. She asked if we'd heard about you, wondering if you were okay, or even still alive. We all thought it was just guilt on her part, about what happened with Ultimecia. But, she was really worried about you because she really loves you."

Seifer gripped the steering wheel tighter, the sexual high shared with Zell vanishing, leaving him with a vaguely empty feeling. He could feel Zell watching him with a steady, serious gaze. Not the sort of gaze that Zell would have given him ten years ago. It was a very adult gaze, and not in the sexual sense. It was mature and serious, looking at Seifer with compassion, and also something else. The knowledge that Seifer had to take a huge step, one that Seifer knew he had to take, but was too afraid to. Because, Ultimecia was already seeping back into his life. If he opened himself up to Edea again......

"I know what you're thinking," Zell murmured quietly, pressed up tightly against Seifer's side. "But, you could even just tell her how you feel, how angry you are at her. It would at least open dialog, start to heal the wounds."

"Zell...." Seifer trailed off, shaking his head.

"I'm serious."

"I know you are. And, I know you're right, and I hate it."

Zell stayed silent, but just watched Seifer, watched his classic and handsome profile, watched the conflict on his face.

"I need to get this stuff back to the city," Seifer finally muttered, still not knowing what to do about Edea.

Zell didn't press the issue any as they drove across the plains, which looked rather ominous at night. He didn't want to start a fight with Seifer about Matron, especially right after a sexual experience. They drove into the city without a word, though it was a comfortable silence. They drove right to the Palace, and Seifer got into a brief conversation with one the guards. Zell caught the drift that Seifer was requesting a work area. The guard handed Seifer a key, and they then drove the truck down the underground walkways that were used for deliveries of food an other such things to the Palace.

"That was easy," Zell murmured as they parked outside a door of some kind. Zell had never been in this part of the Palace. It was a lot dingier, darker, than the rest of the grand building.

"I asked ahead of time.... when I knew I was coming back here." Seifer sighed as he unlocked the door to a room that looked like it was made especially for this sort of thing. There were tables and shelves and various empty bottles around. "I guess I should thank Laguna in person..." Seifer sighed. "Will you help me unload?"

Zell nodded and they started the business of lugging around heavy tentacles and bones and other things ravaged from monster corpses. After they were done, Seifer surveyed everything. "Might as well thank him now. I need a shower anyway."

Zell raised an interested eyebrow, trying to keep Seifer amused, keep his mind off the many awful thoughts that Zell was certain were plaguing the other man. They took a telepod to the upper portions of the Palace, Zell stroking Seifer's back and kissing the backs of his hands as they rode higher, to the top levels where Laguna's offices and their rooms were. A few guards stared at them a little, since Seifer was rather coated in monster blood. Seifer stopped before one guard, and asked "do you know if President Loire is in his office?"

"Yes, he's in there with Sorceress Edea."

"Oh......" Seifer sucked his breath in. "Thank you."

"Well?" Zell asked with concern.

"No time like the present, I guess....." Seifer trailed off, smiling weakly at Zell as they walked up the hallway to Laguna's office.

"Zell!" A voice called. Both turned around to see Squall walking up the hall towards them. Walking, not jogging. Squall never jogged to catch up to someone. "Here you are...." Squall's large blue eyes immediately went to Seifer, and all the dried blood on him.

"Monster hunting," Seifer simply explained.

Squall just nodded, giving Seifer a wary eye, which Seifer did in turn. It was a very uncomfortable exchange, their wary gazes turning into glares.

"So, uh... did you want something?" Zell asked.

Squall stared at Seifer for a few minutes longer, then turned to Zell. "Yes. I was told you were up here."

"Yeah.....?"

"We have to go over your mission briefing."

"Oh. Well, we were just going to see Laguna for a second. Is that okay?"

Squall nodded. "Fine. I need to get him anyway for the meeting."

Zell looked over at Seifer, who was looking immediately distant. "Are you sure you're okay about this....?"

Squall's ears perked up, wondering what Zell was referring to with such concern in his voice.

"I have to face her sometime," Seifer answered, his voice clipped. Squall nodded to himself, knowing that Seifer was talking about Matron. She must be in Laguna's office, too.

The guards outside Laguna's door saw Squall's face, and immediately stepped aside. They gave Seifer curious looks, but still let him pass.

"President Loire?" Seifer called as the office doors slid open. "I just wanted to thank you for... uh....." Seifer was rendered silent by the scene they happened upon. Zell's brow furrowed and his jaw dropped, and if he hadn't been so shocked himself, he would have seen a look of equal surprise on Squall's face. Seifer's was the most stony of the three, showing no emotion either way at the sight of Laguna and Edea tangled together, both very naked. They were sprawled on Laguna's desk, Edea's black hair fanned out all around her. Laguna's hair was equally loose, spilling around his naked shoulders, his equally naked body wrapped in Edea's pale limbs. Edea's eyes rolled back and stared at Seifer. "Seifer.....!" She exclaimed.

There was absolute silence in the room, save the sounds of Laguna and Edea's heavy breathing. Then, that silence was shattered by the sounds of them trying to disentangle from each other, things falling off the desk and clattering to the floor. One thing that fell was a framed photograph. It skipped like a stone across the floor, landing near Seifer's feet, the glass within the frame cracking. Seifer slowly picked up the picture as Laguna and Edea hastily tried to cover up their nudity. Zell was sure he should look away out of decency, but he was just too shocked to will himself to move. Squall was the same. His brow creased with almost innocent confusion.

The photograph was of a woman in what appeared to be a flower shop. She was smiling over her shoulder at the camera, and Seifer assumed this was Squall's mother, for they shared the same face. He kept staring at the woman that was Raine Leonhart-Loire, a dull headache starting to pound behind his eyes. He couldn't look up at them... he couldn't. Seifer looked over at Squall, whose face was a ghostly mirror of the woman in the picture. Squall felt Seifer's gaze, and looked back. Seifer slowly handed Squall the picture, who took it and stared down at his mother's face. Seifer finally turned his gaze back to Laguna and Edea.

"Seifer, I....." She trailed off, looking at Laguna. She'd put on his discarded shirt, keeping it closed with her hands around her bosom.

"Does Cid know?" Seifer asked blankly. Zell finally found motion, and looked over at Seifer. His face was blank, and his voice held no emotion. Though, Zell did notice that a muscle at the right corner of Seifer's mouth was twitching. Squall actually looked far more emotional out of the two. There was something very innocent in Squall when it came to relationships, and when Seifer mentioned Headmaster Cid's name, it really hit Squall. Laguna was having sex with not only his Matron, but a married woman.

"No....." Edea trailed off, ashamed. "Oh, sweetie.... I'm so sorry."

"It's not me that you have to apologize to," Seifer said, his voice still very calm. Squall carefully put the photograph of Raine with its cracked frame back on the desk as Seifer turned on his heel and left the office. "Oh," he called over his shoulder, though he didn't look at them. "Thank you for letting me use that workspace, President Loire."

Laguna closed his eyes and put his hand to his mouth, utterly ashamed of himself. "Squall, I....."

Squall just shook his head. Zell had never actually seen Squall like this, so unsure and rather child-like. Indeed, Squall was just shaking his head like a little kid who didn't understand, or didn't want to understand. He also quickly left, following Seifer out. Zell looked back at the two of them, his shock starting to turn to anger. She was a _married_ woman, and Cid was a good man. He didn't deserve this. Zell also left, not wanting to look at the two of them anymore.

"Seifer!" Zell called, trying to catch up to his long strides.

"We still need to get to that meeting," Squall said with great difficulty. He and Seifer had fallen into stride beside each other, neither saying anything or looking at each other. Squall was certain he'd never be able to rid himself of the memory of seeing Laguna and Edea tangled together sexually.

"Right," Zell whispered. "But, what about Lagun--"

"Never mind him," Squall snapped showing real anger.

"Seifer, are you.....?"

"Do you think less of him now?" Seifer asked of Squall, staring straight ahead into the empty hallway. "Your father, I mean?"

Squall didn't answer, but the slight pursing of his pretty lips was the only answer needed. Zell put his hand on Seifer's shoulder, not knowing what to say. He felt betrayed by Edea, by his beloved Matron for not honouring her wedding vows, but how must Seifer and Squall have felt?

"I not only just found out that Edea is my mother, but I just found out that she's also a slut." Seifer shrugged off Zell's hand. "I need to wash this blood off."

"Seifer...." Zell called quietly, hating the pain in the other man's voice. He started to go after him, but Squall's hand on his elbow stopped him.

"The briefing...."

Zell nodded. "Right." He walked towards the telepod with Squall, both of them very silent. Squall thought of his mother's eyes in that photograph, and how disappointed she would have been with Laguna at that moment.

Daeva examined his fingernails, bored out of his mind. They were at a Summons' Court meeting, which took place in a grand hall that was the replica of one from Bahamut's human castle. But, it was not full of Guardian Forces, Summons, Aeons, Avatars, Espers or what have you. It was full of human forms, and even a couple of non-human ones. Because a Court meeting was neutral ground, they were each in their original forms, their powers held at bay by powerful shields that the Dragon King, now in regal human form, had erected. Daeva would occasionally look up from his nails to see Alexander glaring at him. He would smile and wave, and just go back to either admiring his nails or playing with the ends of his silky hair. Daeva didn't bother trying to catch Etanin's eyes, for the King wouldn't play his little games when there were issues at hand. Like the issue of Tiamat being missing from the meeting, how she'd turned her back on their kind in favour of helping humans. But, also the issue of them dabbling in the human world. Etanin's black eyes had sought out Daeva and Alexander with each word, the heaviness of his gaze making even Daeva have to look away.

As the meeting adjourned, Bahamut having gotten his point across, the other Summons started to talk amongst themselves. The greatest topics of discussion were, of course, Daeva and his Blackballers in Timber. But, there was also something else that was piquing their interests. The current master of most of the powerful beings in the room: Squall Leonhart. Doomtrain, with his dark, dark skin and face painted like a skull was telling the twins about seeing him in Esthar. The twins were the human form of Brother. They were identical to each freckle that was splashed across their pale cheeks, each highlight in their blonde hair, and each thread in their ram's hide clothing, hand tanned and sewed. It was a human expression to say 'joined at the hip', and it would have fit with Brothers. For in human life, they had been conjoined twins, and still were, joined at the hip so to speak. With their powers, they could have separated their bodies so they could each be one, but for some reason never did. None of the other Summons knew why, and none of them questioned.

Daeva perked up a pointed ear to listen to Kwar Mbarba's tale of what he felt from Squall Leonhart, but slunk towards where Parminder was standing, staring off into space, thinking.

"You seem lost, love." Daeva gave her his most charming smile, which would have melted any woman, and even most men, right in their shoes. But, Parminder wasn't most women, and Daeva's flirty charms were lost on her.

"You don't seem too concerned that Bahamut basically told you publicly in court to watch your step."

Daeva just waved a hand. "When do court matters ever bother me, dear?" He strolled around her, at her back. He saw that she was staring at the seat that Odin would have held during the meeting. "You miss him, don't you?"

"What's it to you?" Parminder asked harshly, her breath coming out in smoky clouds, her skin turning cold. Daeva could feel it without even touching her.

"I just know how I would feel if I somehow lost what I love most." Daeva's black and blue eyes slid over to where Etanin was speaking with Djinn and Orchid, the human form of Quetzacoatl; a woman of advanced age with a lined face, veins prominent on her skin, glowing as if she were a light. She usually wore a cloak and hood to dull the effect of her electricity. She was relatively new to the court, for the original power of Lightning had been a man named Ramuh, who had been defeated in battle, much the same as Parminder's beloved Odin. It had been millennia ago, but had been a wake-up call to the others of the court, for Ramuh had been rather powerful and wise. It was a call that they were not omnipotent, and his demise was still honoured as a reminder of their mortality.

"You mean Bahamut?" Parminder asked rhetorically. "I don't know. He doesn't seem too pleased with you...."

"I'm always doing something to infuriate him," Daeva said lowly with a small, personal smile. "But, I know my heart would ache if he died like Odin, like Ramuh. Killed by a human.... tragic."

"Don't you dare dig a knife into my wounds, demon."

"I would never mean to," Daeva whispered into her ear, his breath blowing tendrils of her black hair. "We are old friends, my dear. I hate to see you suffering. Especially when your suffering comes from such a detestable human."

"This has nothing to do with your prophecy, hmm?" The Ice Queen asked, though her voice was quieter than it had been, more unsure.

"My clairvoyance has nothing to do with Mercredi's death."

"Don't mention his name to me," Parminder begged quietly, her pale eyes closing, her mocha skin paling.

"He stole Mercredi from you. Far too soon..... far too soon. Ten years is but a day to us. And, yet... Mercredi's killer walks proud, no justice done for an honoured member of this court." Daeva's whispers were now hisses in Parminder's ear, his eyes bleeding yellow, his hands sliding up onto her shoulders, oily with black scales. "Finding love himself, when you must suffer alone."

Parminder slowly let the air out of her lungs, her breath thick and cold. Daeva's words spoke truth to her. They may not have been honourable words, but they were the ones she wanted to hear, despite her sense of fairness.

"Doesn't your true love deserve revenge?" Daeva asked, his eyes casting across the large hall to where Etanin was, watching him with a steady eye, though he was being talked at by Djinn. Daeva's eyes stayed on Etanin as he goaded Parminder. "If you really love someone, existing when they don't anymore is hell. Each solitary heart beat is the tick of a clock that counts down the days until you waste away without the only important thing in the world to you." Daeva kept staring directly at his King, his wings slowly flapping from his back as Parminder's skin began to ice like a lake at first frost. Daeva was using Shiva's hurt and lost feelings to his own advantage, but his own words stirred feelings in him, as well. The feelings he'd felt when Bahamut had punished him with captivity in that lamp. How he'd felt so much anger, and yet so much pain and loneliness. Diablos was a selfish being, but also an intelligent one. He figured he may have deserved the punishment, but he hadn't had to like it. And, after time, the anger had vanished, and he'd only wanted to feel the way he did when he saw Etanin even now, like the day he'd first seen him, a newborn to being the Dark Messenger, lost and alone.

"Berith...." Bahamut's voice warned into Diablos's head. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing," Diablos answered innocently, his hands sliding off Shiva's shoulders. She was still staring into nothing, her tears frozen right to her cheeks, mid-trickle.

"Parminder?" Aria asked, casting an angry look to Diablos. "Are you okay?" She asked in her sweet, soothing tongue.

Shiva's breath came out from between clenched teeth, and she vanished on the spot.

"What did you tell her?!" Aria exclaimed angrily.

Daeva had fully returned to his human form. "You don't have to get all huffy, Aria." The grand hall was starting to thin out, Summons going back to their own realms.

"Huffy?!" She exclaimed angrily. "You can be so foul sometimes, Daeva." She then said something to him in the language of the fey that, while no other Summon than Diablos could understand, they all knew was something nasty. She left, still spewing ancient insults at him.

"She has a point," Etanin mentioned, casually leaning against the large wooden table. "What did you tell Shiva?"

"Something vile," Alexander hissed. He'd hung around, watching Diablos manipulate Shiva with his poisoned tongue. "Always so vile." Alexander also dissipated, but it was with an oddly serene smile on his face, one that Diablos didn't like. He still stared at the spot where Alexander had been, even after he was long gone, and only he and Etanin were in the large hall.

Daeva gasped when he felt his hair being tugged by Etanin's strong fist. "Have you heard a single word I've said?" Etanin asked, his voice casual.

"Huh?" Daeva asked, stroking his sore scalp. "Alexander is up to something."

"What would give you that idea?" Etanin asked, though Daeva very well knew that his King probably already knew the inner workings of Alexander's mind.

"I may have... pushed a few of his buttons when I was delivering your message about the Court gathering."

"Sounds like something you'd do." Etanin's black eyes narrowed. "Just like you just pushed a few of Shiva's buttons?"

"I only told her what she wanted to hear."

"I think you're thinking of something else, Daeva."

Daeva's dual-coloured eyes snapped over to Etanin's face when he heard his birth name. Bahamut rarely called him Daeva, and usually called him Berith, a name given to Daeva when he'd joined a King's court in his human life. It was a regal title, and the name Daeva only slipped from Etanin's lips in _very _personal moments. "What on earth would I be thinking?"

"Something personal. I know your face. I know your expressions."

"Perhaps I was," Daeva replied, his shadow casting a dark, demonic silhouette on the wall. "Perhaps I was thinking of how until just recently, I was held prisoner in a _fucking lamp_."

"You don't think that you deserved it?"

"You're honestly asking _me_ that question?" Daeva asked with genuine laughter.

"It was rhetorical."

Daeva just fell into an angry silence, which Etanin found amusing. He gracefully pushed himself away from the table.

"Maybe I understand her feelings. To have everything stolen by a human...." Daeva's upper lip curled in a sneer. He remembered his own last moments, betrayed by his King, given to the commoner's mobs who so feared powerful magic, and therefore hated it. Daeva'd often wondered if his clairvoyance would show a repeat of history; that with his eyes that could see past the bend of time, he would see his current King betray him like his past King.

"I see in your eyes that it's more than how Ronouve-Sempra let them burn you."

Daeva made an inhuman hissing noise at the name of his former King, making a gesture down the front of his body to wipe that name away. He turned his back to Bahamut, the only Summon who dared do so on purpose. There were balconies lining the great hall that looked down upon gardens and a courtyard in a great castle. A fortress, though beautiful in its power. There was also a cityscape in the distance, and though this city hadn't existed in millions of years, it had life in it, even if that life was only a creation of Bahamut's large base of power. There was a nice, cool breeze coming from somewhere, and it kissed Daeva's silken hair, swinging it around his shoulders. He placed his hands on the railing, feeling the age and strength in the stone. It felt like touching Bahamut himself. The stone railing felt like the hands that were barely stroking over the surface of his hair. It was more like he was being touched by a gossamer of Etanin's magic. "I am not Ronouve-Sempra, Daeva."

"What makes you think I was thinking of you?" Daeva asked, knowing that Etanin could see through his lies. "You may not have let an unruly human mob burn me alive, but you did banish me once, all the same."

"Still hurt over that whole lamp thing, huh?"

"Nothing you do hurts me."

"You may be able to spin beautiful lies with your poisoned tongue, but they are lies that don't fool me." Etanin's human hands stroked Daeva's hair, and came to rest on his shoulders. He breathed in that dark, sensual and magical smell of Daeva's hair, of the nape of his neck. "What did you tell Shiva?"

"So, you want to wring it out of me, huh?" Daeva asked angrily, the hands that were on the stone railing turning into monstrous claws.

"I need to save you from yourself," the dragon king whispered. "Do you think I enjoy punishing you?"

Daeva looked over the magically recreated city. "You made a human empire out of your love of punishments."

"Let me ask you this, Berith. How many people do you think I've punished in the course of my existence?"

"What?"

"Answer me seriously."

Daeva paused. "I could not guess."

"I don't even know the number anymore, Daeva. Millions.... millions." Etanin's fingers pressed into the masculine muscles of Daeva's shoulders. His body was powerful with more than just sorcery. "And, you are the only one who.... hurts me in turn. Your punishments are my punishments."

"And yet, you continue to punish me."

"Because you need punishing. You deserve it, but it doesn't stick."

Daeva continued to stare out over the city, at the twinkling lanterns and candles in the windows of the homes and apartments. The wind picked up a little, and the air felt moist. Rain was coming. Fat droplets started to fall from the night sky, stars veiled by clouds. "Would you seek revenge on the humans who are destined to kill me?" Daeva had meant to ask the question without emotion, but his voice cracked under the weight of his feelings.

"I have faith in your strengths."

"That's not what I asked."

Etanin gave a low, masculine laugh into the side of Daeva's neck, wrapping his arms around the demon's human waist. "You're so cute when you're fishing for compliments."

Daeva huffed, but allowed himself to melt into his Lord's arms. "I'd hate for my death to be the thing that makes you take my predictions seriously." He felt human again when Etanin touched him like this, the only time where he enjoyed feeling like a mortal man again. It brought back memories of the first time he'd ever seen the face of King Etanin Alwaid. Daeva let out a little sigh as Etanin's lips found a particularly sensitive spot on his neck, just behind his earlobe. "But, I've made moves to overcome... such... things." His head lolled back as Etanin's hands swept down his hips. As they embraced on a royal balcony overlooking the dead city of Uruloce, somewhere Shiva was playing right into Daeva's hands.

Seifer looked down at his notes, surrounded by items. He took his glasses off, rubbing his tired and sore eyes. He'd been up all night making new items and looking at the quality of the tentacles he'd taken from the Malboros on the plains. Even if he'd wanted to sleep, he couldn't. He'd also wanted to be alone. Zell had wanted to be with him, but after what the three of them had witnessed, Seifer would have rather just been solitary. He wanted time to think alone, without Zell's now familiar gaze on him. Today was also the day that he, Rinoa and Edea were supposed to start with Odine to learn about Ultimecia's Stain, or whatever the fuck Odine was calling it. It wasn't only the thought of remembering what he'd done for Ultimecia that was causing his nerves to shudder. It was also having to see Edea again. What could he honestly say to her after catching her in that kind of situation. He guessed it would be the same sort of thing if she walked in on him and Zell together. Except for the fact that Zell wasn't married, that they weren't fucking behind someone's back, cheating on them so callously. Matron was such an avatar of childhood for him that telling her he was homosexual was a bit of a stumbling block, but now he didn't feel nearly as nervous about it. If she disapproved, it didn't matter to him. She couldn't throw stones.

Seifer looked up from the meteor stone he was going to fuse with an ultima stone when he heard a soft rapping at the door. He'd expected Zell to come it, which would have actually been quite nice. But, it wasn't him. It was Selphie. Her friendly face should have been a welcome sight, but it really wasn't. Seifer didn't really feel like talking about what he saw with Edea, but Selphie would still see it on his face, and not rest until she knew everything. That is, unless she already knew from Zell or Squall.

"Hey...." She slowly came into the room. "Just wanted to see how you're doing, since today's...." She trailed off, thumbs hooked into the back pockets of her pants. "How you feel, you know... about Odine, and all." She sat across from him at the table, looking at the items laid out before him. Most looked quite exotic to her. She guessed that's why Garden wanted a _real_ Alchemist as a teacher.

Seifer just shrugged, waiting as the two stones fused into one, with the help of a little magic. Selphie's jade eyes searched Seifer's face, noticing that he was looking away from her, concentrating heavily on his items. Zell and Squall had also been very distant, but she hadn't gotten anything out of them. What had happened? Did Squall find out about Seifer and Zell's relationship? "So, how did Squall take it?"

Seifer's eyes snapped up, and Selphie saw that they were bloodshot. He hadn't been to sleep yet. "What? Did Squall tell you?"

"Tell me?" Selphie asked, confused. It then dawned on her that she and Seifer were talking about two separate things. So... something _else_ had happened that was making Seifer, Zell and Squall so distracted. But, what? Selphie's eyebrows slowly raised, nosing out a challenge. Her mind started working, wondering what was going on. It didn't really occur to Selphie that it could be something private, something personal. It was just a mystery to figure out. Something that Seifer, Zell and Squall all knew, but it wasn't about Seifer and Zell being a couple. Something that was making them all squirrelly, so it had to be big, and probably not to do with Ultimecia, because Squall wouldn't really care about that. Selphie drummed her fingers as her mind worked out all the angles.

Seifer watched the tattoo that Selphie was pelting out with her fingers, knowing that she was thinking, and Selphie thinking was never a good thing when you were trying to hide things. It wasn't that he wanted to be part of Edea's ugly secret, but he knew it wasn't his place to run to Cid and rat her out. _She_ had to be the one to tell Cid. Her and Laguna both.

Selphie stared at Seifer, saw his nerves and the lack of sleep in his too handsome face. He was apprehensive about this meeting, no doubt. But, not because of Ultimecia, and not because Squall found out that he and Zell were fucking. Seifer didn't care two shits about Odine, and Squall sure wasn't afraid of him, so that wasn't it. Was it Rinoa? Doubtful, because Seifer also cared very little for her, at least not in a way that would make Squall flip out. It had to be something to do with Matron...... She sighed.

"Look," Seifer said quickly, standing up. "You should probably go. I have to do a few dangerous item fusions, and you shouldn't be here."

"What happened, Seifer? You can tell me." She resisted when Seifer tried to pull her to her feet. Selphie may have been small, but she was infinitely strong when she was stubborn. "We're friends, right?" She did stand up only when he slumped back down, looking so tired and weary. She put her hands on his shoulders.

"Yeah, sure...." He yawned, hoping she would drop it. Begging some infinite force that she would drop it. He didn't want to have to verbalize what he saw. "I just don't want to talk about it."

"Talking helps."

"You just can't stand not to know something."

She stood up, putting her hands on her hips. "The three of you look like you're going to explode. Why don't you just tell me?"

"Hey, Seifer?" A voice called from the hallway. Zell's voice. "You in here?"

"Yeah," Seifer called back, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

Zell came in, looking far more refreshed than his boyfriend. "Hey, Selphie...." He greeted her with the same wariness that Seifer had. She was on the prowl for clues, Zell knew this much. He felt the same way as Seifer. It wasn't his place to tattle, and he also didn't want to relive that embarrassing and rather disappointing moment. Zell went across the room, wrapping his arms tightly around Seifer's shoulders and kissing him. "I missed you last night," Zell whispered as quietly as he could, hoping that Selphie wouldn't hear. But, she did. And, she gave a thousand-watt smile. "Are you okay?"

Selphie groaned, flopping over the table. "Goddddddd, just telllll meeeeeee!" She begged. "Not knowing is killing me! Is it something to do with Matron?" She asked, knowing it was when she saw the looks on their faces. "Hmmm, something about Matron that has the three of you all upset. A secret.... an uncomfortable one. You don't seem scared. More.... embarrassed. Walk in on her naked or something?"

Zell tried very hard not to flinch. Seifer kept a perfect poker face. His lack of sleep helped him hide his emotions. But, he did smile when Zell's arm draped across his shoulders. Seifer pressed his cheek to Zell's side, just wanting to fall asleep now that Zell's comforting presence was with him.

"So, it is something like that!" Selphie exclaimed victorious. "But... I'm sure you would have gotten over seeing Matron half-naked. Squall would have just frozen up at it, not gotten all weird. Did you see her and Headmaster Cid fucking? Does he have a big dick?"

"_That's enough_," Seifer snapped angrily, glaring at her. "Those are my parents you're talking about." Seifer said that with such scorn that it felt like a knife in Selphie's ear.

"Oh, come on!" Selphie exclaimed. "You shouldn't be embarrassed about the fact that Matron and Cid still have sex. I think it's nice that they're keeping the spark in their marriage..."

"Except that she wasn't fucking Cid!" Zell exclaimed angrily. Zell had wanted a relationship his entire life, a real relationship that he didn't have to keep secret. He wanted to be able to hold hands with the man he loved without having to worry if anyone saw him. He'd always wanted that, and when people who could have this freedom (straight people), threw it away because they couldn't control his hormones... well, it was always something that Zell had deeply resented.

Selphie was so dumbfounded that she actually took a step backwards. "What....?"

"Zell...." Seifer shook his head.

"She was fucking Laguna!" Zell spat out.

Selphie was sure she'd heard that wrong. "I.......... I... what....?"

"You and your big fucking mouth Dincht," Seifer muttered.

"She would have found out eventually."

"You're lying, right?" Selphie asked, unable to believe that _her_ Sir Laguna would sleep with a married woman. Not just any woman, but their Matron. It was so... slimy. So unlike him. "Oh, I know what's going on here. You're just mad at me asking you questions, so you're making this up to punish me." She laughed. "Highly amusing...." Her rather unemotional laughter died in her throat when she saw their faces. She also saw Squall's face during their meetings in her memory. How Squall and Seifer must have felt.... Squall seeing his father like that, Seifer seeing his mother.... "Sir Laguna....."

"It's not a very Knightly thing to do to break up a marriage," Seifer muttered. "And, whores don't make very good fairytale Sorceresses."

Zell looked at his watch, and then stuck his arm out so Seifer could read the time, the face of his watch on his inner wrist. "It's time...." Zell trailed off quietly.

Seifer just nodded and stood up. He had keys for this room, so ushered Selphie out so he could lock it. "Oh," he said to her as Zell started walking up the hallway. "We didn't tell anyone about what we saw, besides you. It's not like we're trying to keep their secret, but we don't feel it's our responsibility to tell, and I'm sure Squall feels the same way. Edea and Laguna should be the ones to tell Cid what they've done."

Selphie just kind of nodded as Seifer and Zell fell into stride besides each other, heading for the telepod that would take them into the city to Odine's laboratory.

"I shouldn't have said anything...." Zell muttered as they sat on the telepod and started moving through Esthar.

Seifer reached out and put his hand on Zell's knee, squeezing it tenderly. "I probably would have eventually told her too, just to get her to shut up. She wouldn't have rested until she found out, anyway."

Zell leaned into Seifer, their lips meeting in a brief kiss as the telepod slowed to a stop. "Seifer.... I....." He pursed his lips as they walked to Odine's lab, and they stopped outside the doors. "I'll wait outside the doors, okay?"

"You don't have to," Seifer whispered, trying not to talk too much, because he felt like he was going to throw up.

"I want to. For... moral support, you know?"

Seifer smiled a little, even though he was actually very terrified. "Well... thank you."

"I like this humble side of you," Zell whispered, leaning in for a quick kiss. There was nobody around that they saw. "Good luck."

Seifer just rolled his eyes a little, but knew he would need all the luck he could get. Stepping into Odine's lab made butterflies grow in Seifer's stomach, and the fact that the first face he saw was Edea's didn't help matters.

"Hello, Seifer...." She said at length, colour rising to her cheeks. "Zell."

"Hello, Matron...." Zell tried not to look at her, as he didn't want to imagine her having sex with Laguna again. It was just too mortifying.

"Have you.....?" She started to ask, but stopped herself.

"You're the one that has to tell," Seifer snapped, whisking by her without another word.

"Hi, guys!" Rinoa greeted cheerfully, the only one out of them that didn't know what had happened. "Am I late?"

"No," Edea said quietly, looking at Seifer's back. "You're just on time."

"Let's just get this over with," Seifer muttered. He walked into the lab, but cast a small look over his shoulder to Zell, who was making himself comfortable on a cushioned bench in the waiting area. Zell gave him a small, affectionate smile, and started rifling through the magazines on the table. Rinoa and Edea followed Seifer in, Odine's labs ho-hum to the two witches, since they'd been there many times before. Seifer had actually never set foot in the place, but was too distracted to be impressed by all the cutting-edge technology.

They waited around in uncomfortable silence for Odine to arrive. Not just uncomfortable because of what Seifer saw Laguna and Edea doing, but because all three of them were silently contemplating, all nervous. After about fifteen minutes, the little scientist came into the room, a big grin on his face. "Ah, velcome all. I hope zis will be a productive day."

Edea went over to Odine as Rinoa and Seifer took seats. "You better watch yourself, Odine. I, more than anyone, know how your perverse little mind works. I will not have you use my child as a guinea pig, nor let you harm Rinoa in any way. If you do anything to hurt Seifer, I'll kill you before Laguna can even get to you." Edea's eyes flared angrily. "Understand?"

"Are you zhreatening me, Zorcerezz Edea?"

"No," she said, casting a look over to Seifer, who was staring at his hands which were folded in his lap. "Just giving you some... advice."

Odine stared back at her, his voice equally chilly when he replied. "I know vhat I am doing."

Edea just raised an eyebrow and took her seat. There were three chairs arranged in a circle, facing each other. Odine went over to his machines, and started pressing a few buttons. "Vhat I have done is take my Junction Machine Ellone, and re-vorked it zo zhat it can try to junction Ultimezia's power out of your bodies." Odine smiled dreamily at his own genius. "It is a very delicate prozedure. So, all relax, and I vill get us ztarted."

Seifer closed his eyes, wondering how the fuck he was supposed to feel relaxed when so many things were crashing down on him all at the same time. He opened one eye as he heard a woman gasp. It had been Rinoa, and she was looking over at Odine. Edea's eyes weren't only closed, but they were slammed shut, as if she'd been punched in the gut. Seifer wondered if Odine had just done something that only the Sorceresses could feel, but then he felt it. It was like someone had dropkicked him right in the solar plexus, and all the wind had been vanquished from his lungs. His eyes went over to Odine, who was watching them all with a look of almost amusement on his face. Seifer wanted to get up out of his chair at that moment and just leave, but he couldn't. He couldn't move under the weight of whatever Odine's machines were doing to them.

"What.... what... are... you..._doing_?!" Edea exclaimed angrily. Normally, she was very gentile and kind, and people wouldn't guess that her powers were so incredibly strong in black magic, but her face showed her fathomless skills as a black mage.

"Purging Ultimezia from your bodies."

Seifer's head was snapped back as if he'd been hit, and he was finding it hard to breathe. He would have been able to suffer through the pain that was in his body, he would have been able to deal with this awful ache in his blood, but he could not deal with what happened next.

__

Do you really think that this idiot troll can purge me from your body?

Seifer's lungs seemed to collapse on him. He would have let out breath if there had been anything in his chest other than an awful emptiness.

__

I'll always be with you, my Knight. My fool. As long as your memories keep, I kan still exist within you.

"That's not power," Seifer whispered, not even realizing that words were falling from his lips. If he hadn't been so wrapped up in his own mind and memories of her, he would have heard Edea and Rinoa also whispering to themselves, lost in their own memories of being touched by Ultimecia's power.

__

Isn't it? Her hissing voice asked in his head. _Isn't the mental torment what makes Diablos so strong against you? Isn't the memory of me what keeps you up at night, tossing in nightmares? I will always have power over you, and nothing this fool of a doktor kan do will change that._

"Shut up," Seifer hissed.

__

I'm not really there. It's all in your head. You're the one making me speak.

"Leave me alone."

__

You are alone. You will always be alone, bekause you'll always be my Knight.

"Shut up!" Seifer yelled.

"Mizter Almazy, do you feel Ultimezia being purged from you?"

__

He doesn't want to take me from you. He wants to make me stronger. He loves my power, it's like a Siren song to him.

"Do you feel her power growing?" Odine asked, a tone of almost sexual excitement in his voice. "Do you feel her rezurfazing?"

__

Odine will make me strong through you, my little puppet. My dear spineless weakling.

"I am not your servant anymore."

__

You will always be my slave. Nobody sees you any differently than that.

"I can feel her powerz rizing from you," Odine said quietly. "Ze Zorceressez are bringing it out of you."

__

See what I mean? Her voice asked victoriously. _As long as he's alive, he'll seek my powers. Just like he bent over backwards for Adel's powers._

"Shut up," Seifer hissed again.

__

You kould kill him. It would end everything. You kould do it. You've done it many times before, and not always because I asked you to.

"No," he muttered. "I won't listen to you."

"She's zpeaking to you, iz she not, Mizter Almazy? Vhat iz she telling you?"

Ultimecia just laughed in Seifer's head, and it echoed over and over and over again. She just wouldn't stop laughing, and Odine was heatedly whispering questions in his head, and he heard Edea or Rinoa scream, he couldn't be sure which one it was. Seifer was then screaming himself, and he vaulted out of his chair, just wanting Ultimecia to stop laughing and leave him alone. He just wanted it all to be over. Why wouldn't she leave him alone?! Why wouldn't everyone just leave him alone? All he wanted was to go on with his life, and she wouldn't stop laughing at him. He just wanted to live quietly for the rest of his life, maybe with Zell. Was that such an awful thing to ask?

__

Monsters like you don't deserve happiness. You're weak, and you're foolish. This is why your parents abandoned you. This is why your little boyfriend will abandon you. Bekause you deserve it, and you will always deserve it.

"Shut up, you bitch!" Seifer screamed. "You're dead, you're fucking dead, so _get out of my mind_!" Seifer felt something wet and hot splash across his face, and he was panting heavily because of his internal war with his former mistress. He opened his eyes, and saw that his vision was red.

Rinoa and Edea were both panting and looked very pale, and were staring at him with horror. Rinoa then screamed, and Seifer looked around. Things were red, and his hands were wet with it. He wondered if he'd injured himself, and saw the horror on Rinoa's screaming face, and saw the pity in Edea's eyes. Laying on the floor at his feet was the small crumpled remains of what had been Dr. Odine. He was brutalized, and Seifer's hands and face and torso were covered in his blood. But.... how? Seifer had no weapons, and Odine wasn't just dead, he was destroyed. How had Seifer done this with his bare hands? He didn't even remember touching the doctor.

"What's going on in here?" Zell called, jogging into the room. "I heard screaming! Seifer, are you....?" Zell's pale eyes widened when he walked in on the scene. Rinoa was still screaming, staring down at the ugly, ugly mess that was Odine's body, and Edea was staring at Seifer with an unreadable expression. Seifer looked shocked and horrified, staring down at his hands, which were soaked with bright red blood. "Seifer...."

Seifer looked up from him hands when he heard Zell quietly say his name. Zell's heart broke at the scared look in Seifer's eyes. "Oh my God...." Seifer choked out. "Oh God, Zell... what.... what.....?"

"What happened, baby?" Zell asked, looking down at Odine's body. There was no accusation in his voice.

"I.... I... I...." That was all that Seifer could choke out. "I heard her voice," he finally said. "She wouldn't stop laughing, and Odine was asking if... if..." He trailed off with a sob. Blood was still dripping from his fingers onto the floor with a deafening sound.

Zell quickly looked around, realizing what had just happened, the shock wearing off. He immediately cast a very strong stop spell that even halted Rinoa and Edea's movements. Rinoa's screams cut off as if she'd been killed, but her eyes were still staring at them, very much alive even though she couldn't move a muscle. "You have to run," Zell whispered, gripping Seifer's hands, not caring if he was getting Odine's blood on himself. "Seifer, please...."

"What.....?"

"You just killed Dr. Odine. The guards will be here any second. They'll arrest you for this. This isn't the same as killing a Blackballer. This is _Odine._ They may shoot you first, and sort it out later. There are cameras here. They'll be on their way."

"What....?" Seifer shook his head. "But... I didn't mean to!"

"I know!" Zell exclaimed fiercely, squeezing Seifer's hands again. "Just go. Please!" Zell then pushed him towards the back exit of the labs. "Go, please!"

"Zell.... I..... what about you?"

"I can handle it. Just go!!" Zell shoved Seifer out the back door, already hearing the Esthar guards storming into the labs. "Please hurry," Zell whispered, though Seifer was already gone. His stop spell had worn off, and Edea was getting out of her chair as Zell came back into the room, blood smeared hands up as the guards pointed guns at him. And, as the guards started yelling for explanations, just stopping short of arresting two Sorceresses and a SeeD Captain, Seifer ran...


	11. Chapter 11

****

Eleven

"What happened in here?!" One of the Esthar soldiers asked, voice angry from behind his face-mask. He had his gun trained right on Zell's face.

Zell didn't know what to say, so he remained silent, keeping his hands up. His heart was thundering in his chest, but it was more because he was worried about Seifer than because he had an angry guard all up in his face.

"Odine.... was performing an experiment on the three of us. It got out of control."

"Where is Mr. Almasy?" The head guard demanded angrily.

"Gone....." Rinoa trailed off, giving Zell a wary look. "He...."

"Odine brought it on himself," Edea interrupted, giving Rinoa a rather deadly look that silenced her. Edea didn't want Zell's sacrifice to go to waste if Rinoa let out what happened. "The experiment he started was _not _what we agreed to." She then looked at Zell, who was staring straight ahead. She had noticed that Seifer and Zell had seemed to become friends while Zell was on mission in Timber, but from their interaction just now, there was much more to it than that. So much more.

"And, yet.... he ran? Not something an innocent person would do."

"Would you have listened to him if he were here?" Zell asked angrily. His eyes went to the door when Kiros came in, followed by Laguna. Laguna's eyes met Zell's, and the President had to turn away in shame.

Kiros and Laguna both saw the mess that had been Odine, and both looked rightly shocked. "What on earth....?" Kiros looked around, eyes resting on Rinoa. Kiros had easily seen that there was something emotional happening between Edea and Laguna, so he also saw that there was something growing between Seifer and Zell. And, Edea was Seifer's mother. Rinoa was the one who would give him the most truthful version of events. "What happened?" He asked.

"Odine..." Edea began.

Kiros pointed a long finger to Rinoa. "Her. She'll tell me, not you."

"I don't know what Odine started doing...." Rinoa said after a very long and nervous pause, the Esthar guards still holding guns on them. "All I know is that.... it hurt...." She reached up and touched her chest, her arm feeling like lead. "And, I could hear her voice... Ultimecia's." Rinoa looked up to Edea, silently searching for some sort of guidance. "We all could. Odine was whispering something to Seifer, and...." She shook her head. "Seifer was screaming 'shut up, shut up', and then blood was just everywhere...." Rinoa had been trying not to look at Odine again, but mentioning the blood made her eyes automatically go over there. "He just.... he killed him."

Kiros shook his head and muttered under his breath. He said it quietly enough so that nobody other than Laguna, who was standing right beside him, could hear it. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Kiros...." Laguna hissed quietly. "Please...."

Kiros just raised an eyebrow at his old friend, gripping him by the elbow and leading him out of the main lab, out into the waiting area. Zell, Rinoa and Edea were still being held at gunpoint by the city guards. "You knew I didn't trust him. He had a choice, and he chose to work for Ultimecia. He could have turned his back on her."

"You really think so?" Laguna asked seriously, his normally jovial voice lowering a couple of angry octaves. "Maybe you'd feel differently if you'd been under her control."

"If it weren't for Edea, would you feel this same way?"

"Edea has nothing to do with being compassionate, Kiros."

Kiros sighed heavily. "Why do you always make me be the bad guy, Laguna? Someone has to think about the welfare of the city _and_ its citizens. And, that includes Dr. Odine, even if you didn't like him."

"You didn't like him either!" Laguna looked back into the lab, his eyes resting on Edea and her worried, beautiful face.

"My feelings don't matter in the face of the law. I'll have to arrest Seifer as soon as he's found. I'll also have to put Zell and Edea under watch, because I think they let him escape."

Laguna's eyebrows raised. "You're willing to arrest the world's most powerful Sorceress and a highly-decorated SeeD officer?"

"I'm not arresting them. I'm just going to question them. But, you know Esthar's laws, Laguna. You know that this could mean execution for Seifer if it's put to trial."

"My wanting a democracy has shot me in the foot again," Laguna muttered angrily as Kiros went back in the lab. Laguna was very against the death penalty, something left-over from Adel's reign, but the people voted year after year to keep the law implemented. Even if he was President of the most powerful nation in the world, he could only watch as the guards escorted Zell, Edea and Rinoa out of the office, guns still raised. He gave a helpless look to Edea, who stared back at him with her golden brown eyes that made him feel like he was falling from the tallest mountain.

"What's going on in here?" Squall demanded, actually shouting. He came running into the waiting area, straight for his wife. "I heard that something had gone wrong from one of the guards. Are you okay?"

Rinoa nodded shakily, but then collapsed against Squall's chest, sobbing when his arms wrapped around her.

"Squall, everything's under control now...." Laguna stopped talking when he noticed his son wasn't even meeting his eyes. He could also see colour staining his son's cheeks. He was still embarrassed, as was Laguna. He also noticed that Zell kept staring straight ahead, not meeting his eyes, either.

"What happened?" Squall demanded so sharply that Laguna flinched.

"Seifer killed Odine," Rinoa whispered against Squall's chest.

Squall wasn't sure he heard her correctly, but looked past the guards into the labs, and saw it was bright red with blood spatter. "What....?" Squall's eyes immediately went to Zell, who was staring straight ahead, his hands smeared with Odine's cooling blood, his mind elsewhere.

And, Zell's mind was only on Seifer. He didn't care what happened to him, only caring about Seifer's safety. For, he also knew the laws of Esthar. Probably knew them as well as Laguna did. Zell knew that murder was punishable by death, especially if it was the murder of someone with Odine's stature in the city. The guards probably would have shot Seifer first, and asked questions later. Especially with his past track record where Ultimecia and Adel were concerned. He also knew that Esthar couldn't really do anything to him, since he would be under Garden's jurisdiction no matter what he did.

__

Just get as far away as you can, Zell mentally urged, the guards already starting to hammer him with questions as he, Edea and Rinoa were dragged towards the Palace.

Seifer had wound up getting his hands on a rental car. He supposed the clerks hadn't heard what was sweeping through the city like wildfire by now; that Dr. Odine had been murdered. By Ultimecia's Knight. He was out of the Great Salt Flats by the time he stopped, hands tightly around the steering wheel. His whole body was shaking from whatever Odine had done to him, and when he stepped out of the car to the Horizon Bridge station, his legs didn't really want to work properly. His heart was beating erratically in his chest, and he was sweating even though he had a chill. He was sure he looked a wreck to the people all around him. At least he'd wiped the blood off his hands and face. He silently bought a ticket to Fisherman's Horizon, searching his pockets for the right amount of coin. As he handed the ticket agent the gil, he noticed something odd. The window between him and the woman was fogging up, then ice started appearing on it. Maybe a cold wind from the Salt Flats was causing a flash frost.

Seifer looked around, feeling dizzy by the quick movement of his head, and saw that there was ice caking on the trains that were stopped at the station, and it was even forming on people. They all had looks of pure confusion on their face as the ice crawled up all over them, making audible cracking noises, freezing them in their surprised poses like ice sculptures. All except Seifer. "Sir, are you alright?" He asked, touching the icy slick shoulder of the man who had been behind him in line. Icicles were dripping from his elbows, as if water had been poured from the sky and had frozen in contact with every surface except Seifer himself. "Sir?" Seifer asked again, his heart aching in his chest because of the cold that was now in the air, and because of Odine's experiment. His breath was now coming out in thick clouds, and his fingers felt chilled.

There was a thick fog coming from the ocean, due to the extreme temperatures hitting each other. Through that cold fog, Seifer could see the silhouette of a form coming towards him. There was loud cracking because the ice was now thickening on the surfaces of the bridge itself, and the figure kept coming closer, the only thing that was moving besides Seifer himself. He immediately felt danger, and reached up under the sleeves of his shirt, pulling out the hunting knives that had been strapped to his forearms.

__

You cannot win this fight, a voice spoke in Seifer's ear. Tiamat's voice.

Seifer opened his mouth to say something, but he felt like his vocal chords were frozen in place. It wasn't Shiva's human form that came through that dense fog. It was her true form, her body nearly nude and skin frozen solid. The icy tendrils and yellow ribbons of her hair billowed in the gentle, yet biting cold wind. With each step, her foot froze to the bridge. And with ease, she lifted her foot and kept walking, ice cracking as she tore her foot away from the metal bridge. She stopped a few feet from Seifer, and gave him a mocking bow. "Seifer Almasy, Knight of the Time Mage Ultimecia. We meet again."

Seifer found he could move, but his limbs didn't want to work. He felt a magical tug within him; Tiamat forcibly summoning herself. She also appeared in true form, not bothering with human guise. Her great wings cast a shadow over Seifer, and she snarled at Shiva.

"Out of the way, Tiamat!" Shiva exclaimed angrily in the language of the Summons. To Seifer, it only sounded like some exotic song, all humming and musical noises. "This does not concern you."

Tiamat angrily flapped her wings out, blocking Shiva completely from Seifer's view. He knew that this wouldn't just end with a discussion amongst GF, so he tried to will his body to co-operate with his mind. His hands were shaking quite badly, and he felt empty at the core from guilt and worry and whatever Odine had done to him. He could still hear that musical noise of Tiamat and Shiva talking.

"And, anything to do with the Court _does_ concern me?" Tiamat asked with a snarl. "I barely exist to you all."

"You're turning your back on your own kind!" Shiva exclaimed, the dragoness's wings starting to ice up. Smoke billowed from out of Tiamat's nostrils, and flames licked from between her fangs. "For a human!"

Tiamat angrily let the flame breath escape from her deadly mouth. It melted the ice around her, and crawled up Shiva's cold arms. She hissed and jumped backwards, her eyes looking past Tiamat's wingspan, as if Shiva's ice blue eyes could see through them. "Get out of the way so I can kill him, Thuban!"

"No."

"No?" Shiva asked, almost gently. "Why?"

"Because this _human_, a word you all say so scornfully, is the only loyal being to me. You all turn your backs to me as if I don't exist, all because of Father and that demonic whore of his."

"There is nothing I can do about that, Thuban. Now, get. Out. Of. My. Way." Shiva thrust her hand outward, icy wind and shards like glass shooting out from her palm. The ice cut Tiamat's scaled hide like it was wet paper against the blow of a sledgehammer. The bulk of her weight was flung backwards, slamming into Seifer. He sprawled backwards, sliding along the ice slicked ground. Shiva kept her arm straight out in front of her, raining ice down on Tiamat, who gave a monstrous growl and shot flame from her fanged mouth. Shiva gracefully sidestepped, and Tiamat's body started to fade away.

__

I'm sorry, but she's too strong for me. You should run. She'll destroy you.

I can't run from her, Seifer mentally replied._ Even if I wanted to. She'd just find me._

She'll kill you! Tiamat warned, even though her body was barely visible now. She disappeared with a pop, the air filled with icy glitter where she'd been. With great difficulty, Seifer rose to his feet. He slid around a few times, for he was unable to find his footing on such a slippery surface.

"Are you ready to meet your fate?" Shiva asked calmly, though her hands were shaking with her anger at this human. This human who had stolen her heart.

Seifer stared at her for a while, shivering because of the ever-growing cold. The hilts of his knives felt fused to his hand in all this chill. His mind was racing, while his motions felt sluggish. _Think Almasy, THINK._ He stared at the Ice Queen, and she stared right back. The patience in her eyes frightened Seifer. She'd seen more ages and years than Seifer could even _imagine. _He was a gnat compared to her vastness. He thought and thought of ways he could get out of this mess. At one point in his life, Seifer would have just let Shiva roll right over him, but he had a reason to live now. And, it wasn't just because of Zell. It was because of the way Zell made him feel about himself. He felt more complete, more like himself, than he had in a very long time. He suddenly felt lucky that he was latently strong with fire magic. It would be a saving grace. All he could see was a blur in the crystally fog that told him Shiva was on the move. Seifer just trained his mind to think of this as just another battle. Shiva was just another monster that he was going to forge items from. But, he forgot that when he felt like he'd gotten hit by a concentrated winter blizzard.

Seifer was sent off his feet as Shiva's body slammed into him. He could feel the cold of her burning his skin where she touched him. He sliced out with his knives, but she'd already moved away again. The fog off the ocean was thickening, so Seifer could barely see in front of him. When Shiva had tackled him, Seifer's eyeglasses had gone flying off his face and shattered on the now deserted tracks. Things were now blurry because of his bad eye sight. It had also started snowing, the flakes building up on the shoulders of the frozen people waiting for their train across the bridge. Seifer knew his eyes would fail him now, so he relied on his hearing. It was hard to hear her in the winds, which were starting to whistle as they stung Seifer's cheeks to the point of tears. He was crying because of the cold and harsh wind, but the tears were freezing on his cheeks. He heard some sort of whoosh from behind him, so he sent a fireball from his palm. He heard Shiva hiss, but she was no longer on that spot. He'd merely hit her in passing.

Seifer turned when he heard a noise at his back, but then the nape of his neck was smashed by what felt like one of the Horizon Bridge trains, but had actually been Shiva's elbow. It left Seifer's vision black, and left his head spinning. He fell to his knees, blinding pain shooting across his face from that spot on the back of his neck. He then felt himself being slammed into again. This time, Shiva had tackled him. It raised him up off his knees, and sent him flying backwards against the guardrail. Shiva was then on top of him, and Seifer's blurry vision could see the cold, dead anger in her eyes. And, he knew that she wouldn't stop until he was dead. Seifer could hear the metal rail creaking behind him. The fog was still coming up heavily from the waters far below him, and Seifer willed himself not to look over his shoulder to see the watery death that waited for him below. Shiva's icy hand was now around his throat, choking the air out of him as the rail bent around Seifer with the force she was using. He felt the unforgiving metal grinding against his spine and ribcage painfully. Her hands were so cold that they burned him, that it brought tears to his eyes that froze as soon as they tried to trickle down his cheeks.

Seifer grit his teeth, willing himself to take some action. He was greatly outmatched, but that didn't mean he was defeated yet. The ground under Shiva's feet started to smoulder in the shape of a cross, and Shiva let out a scream as the flames enveloped her. Seifer shoved her away and stabbed one of his knives into the spot where the center of her collarbone met her throat. The blood that shot out was crystal clear, and froze against any surface it touched, including Seifer's blade, his hands and his face. As she clawed at the stab wound, Seifer put his palm right in her face, fingers digging into her cheeks and forehead, and he called forth a fireball from his palm. Shiva screamed in agony, but wasn't down for the count. She kicked out, and Seifer went flying backwards. He slammed into a parked train, icicles dripping from it. Seifer's head glanced off the metal, and he felt the hot stickiness of blood rolling down the back of his neck, but it quickly froze to his skin. His extremities were starting to feel heavy and tingling with the beginnings of frostbite. But, every time Seifer felt like giving up, like Shiva was just too much of a match for him, he thought of Zell back in Esthar. Zell who had immediately put himself on the line to give Seifer a chance to escape. It seemed wrong for Seifer to waste such a gesture, to give up when Zell had such confidence in him.

Seifer used the train as cover when a blast of ice shards, snow and cold wind came his way from the dense fog. "You think a little fire will make me give up?" Shiva called in her cold voice that was dripping anger and heartbreak. "I won't give up until you're dead!"

"It's not like I set out to kill Odin!" Seifer called back, closing his eyes and letting a few firaga spells land in thickness of the fog. One of them must have hit Shiva, because he heard her grunt in pain. His words had come out disjointed because of the chattering of his teeth. "He would have killed me if I hadn't defended myself!"

"You should have let yourself die!" Shiva screamed, the air around Seifer so cold that he felt he could reach out and touch it. He saw a blur of movement coming towards him, and ducked out of the way just as one of Shiva's fists left a large dent in the side of the train. "Your life, a _human life_, is meaningless to his."

"Wasn't he human once?!" Seifer asked, slashing at her with a knife, cutting her arm. "Weren't you human once?! Do you think when Odin was human, he would have stood back and let someone kill him? Would you have? No, you would have defended yourself, just like I did!"

"I loved him!" Shiva bared her teeth in a sneer. "And, you stole him from me."

"Odin was a warrior. He knew the risks of a fight. And, so do you."

Shiva paused, standing before this shivering, bleeding human. He was so weak and frail against the vastness of her powers, and yet he was still standing, still with a will of iron. And, his words spoke truth to her. The anger that Daeva had riled in her, that had blinded her, was being curbed by the rationality of his words. Mercredi _had _been human once. Shiva had fallen in love with him while he'd _still_ been human. He had been a warrior, and had known the risks of mortality. "I want him back...." Shiva trailed off, sounding so very lost to Seifer. On one hand, she was this being with immense power and age, but on the other hand, she still had her frail, human emotions, and those emotions seemed all the more fragile when in comparison to her other less-than-human qualities.

"I'm sorry that I killed him," Seifer said quietly. "I'm sorry that you lost him, but it can't be undone."

Shiva slowly walked towards him, the ice forming around her feet with each step. Seifer raised his weapons, staring at her warily, trying not to show how hurt he actually was. His head was spinning, his back and ribs ached and everything was blurry because he'd lost his glasses. Shiva's hand came out lighting fast, slapping Seifer across one frozen cheek, then across the other. The slap was intensely strong, and he fell backwards, landing hard on his ass. He looked up to see Shiva extending one pale hand. "Apology accepted," she said in a shaky voice.

Seifer stared at her hand for a while, then slowly extended his own, allowing the Ice Queen to help him to his feet. He kept looking at her warily as she turned her back to him, the fog starting to disappear. She put her hands on the bend guardrail, and stared out to the ocean.

"Just like that?" Seifer whispered, uncertain.

"It's been ten years since Odin's death. For our kind, that isn't a very long time at all." She kept staring out to the ocean, the ice that had built up on the rails starting to melt slowly. "But, since his death, it's the first time in millions of years that I've noticed the time. I've felt every day of those ten years." She looked over her shoulder at him. "And yet, I never came after you until today. I hated the sound of your name, or even the mere mention of Ultimecia's Knight, but I never came. Because I know what you say is true, that's why."

Seifer tentatively went over to the rail, but kept a safe distance from her. The other passengers were still frozen in place, ice sculptures with looks of surprise frozen on their faces.

"I let Daeva talk me into his dirty work, because he said things that I wanted to hear, and yet I knew were wrong."

"Diablos....." Seifer trailed off.

"Oh...." Shiva let out a small sigh. "Mercredi, you would be so ashamed of me right now." Shiva looked over at the human beside her. "I've always prided myself on my rationality...."

"Love sometimes makes us crazy," Seifer said, feeling a little odd at that moment. He felt like he was boding with Shiva, a powerful Sorceress who only minutes ago was trying to ruthlessly to kill him.

"Yes, you are in love with Ifrit's master. You know what I speak of."

"I'm not...." Seifer began to protest weakly about his feelings for Zell, but Shiva gave him a look that read his soul.

"Diablos will stop at nothing to destroy both of you."

"But, why?" Seifer asked. "What did we ever do to him?"

Shiva kept staring out to the ocean. "I know not. Daeva has rather mystical powers that involve clairvoyance. He sees things. Futures, maybe. It is not a perfect magic. Perhaps he saw something relatively harmless, but held onto it with pettiness. One thing that we Guardian Forces are is petty most of the time."

"But, how can I beat him?"

"I don't know. No Summon other than Tiamat will help you against him. Even if we disagree with Daeva at times, we will not take sides against him."

"Which would mean also taking sides against Bahamut."

Shiva made a thoughtful noise. "Thuban told you of her father's relationship with Daeva, I take it."

Seifer nodded, still shivering. "And, Tiamat's too weak to take on Diablos _and_ her father."

"This is true. Even I am not strong enough to have Bahamut as an opponent." Shiva turned to face Seifer, putting a cold hand on his shoulder. "Our King is not your enemy yet, but I'd be careful if I were you." She then dropped her arm, looking out to the sea. "If you go towards the city of Fishermen, I will not follow."

Seifer stared at her for a while.

"You can trust my word, child of Sorceress Edea." She gestured towards the distance. "The continent of Trabia is just beyond these waters. That is where the old kingdom was that Mercredi lived in. I think I'll stay here for a little while longer."

Seifer looked over to the frozen people waiting for their train.

"Don't worry about them. Just go. I'm sure your little episode in Esthar will bring their lawmen soon."

"You know about that?"

Shiva just raised an eyebrow, her skin started to turn to dark mocha, the true form of her power being guised in her former human form. Her long black hair blew in the warming wind, her pale skin turning dark, her body covered by a sari in expensive bright orange material. She just stared back out at the water, her body language telling Seifer that their conversation, and their fight, was over. Seifer put a hand on his throbbing ribs and ran down the tracks towards Fisherman's Horizon.

"Where is he?" One of the Esthar guards asked angrily, jabbing Zell in the gut with the muzzle of his gun. Zell barely flinched, and kept staring straight ahead. "He killed Dr. Odine, and you're covering for him! That's an arrestable offence."

Zell remained silent, just staring ahead.

"If anyone decides his punishment," a voice said, coming into the small room in Esthar's detention center. "It will be Garden." The voice belonged to Xu. It had been about 12 hours since Odine's death and Seifer's subsequent escape. The Esthar guards had been trying to get answers out of Zell, but he wasn't talking. It was foolish of them to think they'd be able to get anything out of him. After all, Zell had been trained to never give up secrets. All SeeD were trained to suffer through the worst torture imaginable rather than give up secrets. And, Zell would never give up Seifer. Never. Not even to Xu. Especially not to Xu.

"Odine was an Estharian citizen," the head guard pointed out as Xu swept into the room, followed by Squall and Quistis. Zell just stared defiantly at them.

"You may do what you wish where it concerns Odine's death," Xu said diplomatically. She'd been called to come to Esthar as soon as Zell had been put under arrest. Edea was also sort of under arrest. 'Sort of' meaning that none of the soldiers dared arrest such a powerful Sorceress, but they were asking her to stay and answer questions, which she was evading just as Zell was. "But, you may not do as you wish where one of Garden's own is concerned." Xu crossed her arms over her chest. "Please leave us."

"I don't take orders from you," the guard hissed angrily from behind his mask.

"But, you do take orders from me," Laguna said, coming into the room. Cid was beside him, and the Headmaster immediately took Xu aside and whispered a few things to her. He then went over to his wife, enveloping her in a hug. She held him back tightly, her body shaking with fear for Seifer, and also with the same guilt that held her every time she held her husband.

Under Laguna's orders, the guards left. Squall gently ushered Rinoa out of the room, until there was only Zell, Edea, Cid, Xu, Quistis and Squall left. Zell knew what was coming, but he didn't care. Xu was going to press him for answers about why he let Seifer escape, and where he could have gone. Zell was pretty positive that Seifer would go to Fisherman's Horizon, but wouldn't say that. He wouldn't say anything. While Cid was headmaster, it was actually Xu that held most of the power in Garden. She was his deputy, his right-hand, and also head of the Garden Tribunal and law system. Zell had personally never had a problem with Xu, but he did know how much she still disliked Seifer. There had always been bad blood between them, and her ill feelings hadn't vanished in the past decade. She was suddenly an enemy to him.

Xu pulled up a chair and sat across from Zell, smiling at him, trying to be friendly, but to be truthful, she was confused, and a little angry. Why, why would Zell want to help someone like Seifer Almasy?! "Zell, why did you let Seifer escape?" Xu asked. "I just don't get it. I know you hate Seifer just as much as I do."

Zell's icy eyes slid over to her from the spot on the wall he'd been staring intently at. But, he did not reply. Edea watched Xu staring at Zell, knowing that she was so very wrong. She didn't exactly know the extent of Zell's relationship with her son, but she knew that it definitely wasn't hate between them. She knew it was friendship at least, but wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it was more than that. She'd seen the look in their eyes when they stared at each other.

"They have been spending a lot of time together lately," Squall pointed out, leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He said it with scorn that Zell could hear, but didn't know if anyone else could.

Zell again remained silent, staring at a spot on the wall that was beyond all of them, beyond even time. He wasn't in this place speaking to these people. He was in a place far away where they couldn't touch him. As Zell had been going through training for moments just like this, he'd wondered if this how Ultimecia had felt when she'd tried to achieve Time Compression.

"C'mon Zell," Xu coaxed. "Why are you trying to protect a murderer?"

At this, Zell spoke. But, his voice didn't show any emotions. His voice showed no worry, no affection for Seifer, no remorse for Odine's life or fear for his own position within Garden due to what he was doing. He looked at Edea rather that and Xu, Quistis or Squall as he spoke. "I'm not covering for a murderer. Circumstances occurred that could not be helped."

"Why are you covering for Seifer?!" Xu asked, standing up in her anger. The chair she'd been sitting in toppled to the floor with enough noise that it caused everyone in the room to jerk. Everyone except Zell. "Tell me, god dammit!"

Zell stared at Xu for a very long time before he even considered replying to her. With each passing second of silence, Xu's face got paler and paler with anger. There was a vein at her temple that was throbbing that Zell's eyes couldn't help but stare at. "You know Xu, I never thought of you as this petty before. It's been over ten years. You'd think you'd have let go of some childish rivalry."

Xu sputtered, taking a step backwards. She stared at Zell as if she'd never seen him before. "You'd fly in the face of Garden _law_ to protect some murderer that you hate anyway?"

Momentarily, Zell did consider what Xu was saying to him. He did consider the shocked looks on all the faces around him, save for maybe Matron's. Cid looked as bewildered as the rest, though he did have relief on his features. After all, it was his son that Zell's silence was protecting. He did consider Xu's warning that protecting Seifer would indeed put him in some very hot water, but one thought of Seifer being handed over to the unforgiving Esthar guards is what stayed Zell's hand.

Xu was clenching her jaw so tightly that her teeth could have shattered. "Well, Captain Dincht. Perhaps a night detained in Esthar's cells will make you reconsider. Also, the thought of facing the disciplinary tribunal might help speed things along."

"Now, Xu...." Cid began.

"Headmaster!" Xu interrupted, holding up a hand. Normally, she was a very calm and collected woman, but her anger was making that hand shake. "We all know the personal connection you have here. While you may still be in charge of Garden, I would highly suggest that you distance yourself from this situation." Xu quickly turned on her heel, but before she left the room, she looked over her shoulder. "Since you're so keen on protecting Seifer, tell him this for me; that he won't get away. He shouldn't have gotten away ten years ago, and he won't get away this time."

"Sorry, Zell...." Quistis trailed off. "But, Xu does have a point. You will have to be detained until we can get some answers about what happened here tonight." Quistis cocked her head, seeing the darkly challenging look in Zell's pale eyes. "I'm not saying I think Seifer did it on purpose, but we _do_ need answers." She stepped across the room and put a friendly hand on Zell's shoulder. "Garden will make sure they don't try to do anything to you. Laguna will make sure of it, too." Quistis began to go get the guards, but Squall stopped her with a strong hand on her elbow.

"Quistis," he said lowly. "Let me escort him."

"Squall, I don't know....."

"Let me," Squall asked again in a way that was more of a demand.

"No funny business, Squall." But, Quistis just nodded, knowing that where Squall Leonhart was concerned, there was no such thing as 'funny business'.

Squall stood beside Zell's chair for a while, looking down at him. The others started to file out of the room, and eventually Zell rose to his feet, staring straight ahead as Squall walked beside him. The blonde tried not to show it, but he was nervous about being locked up in Esthar jails. He'd heard awful stories about them, relics from Adel's rule of the city. A place of nightmares and horrors. Laguna would have gotten rid of most of the awful implements of inhumane torture, but they had to have something to put the fear of Hyne into criminals retained. And, since Kiros was the one who handled some of those things rather than Laguna, Zell was sure he wasn't going to enjoy even a brief stay.

Squall and Zell walked in silence, until it was only them and a couple of masked Esthar guards walking at a distance behind them.

"So," Zell muttered as they went deeper and deeper into the bowels of the Presidential Palace, far under the city. "Out with it."

"Huh?"

"You want to say something. I know you, Squall."

"Why?" Squall demanded loudly enough that his voice echoed off the poured cement walls. The underground of the Palace was far different than the clean steel and glass of the rest of Esthar. This was grungy, dirty. "Damn, Zell. Look what's happening. Look where you're going!"

"I know very well, Squall. You don't have to tell me."

"It seems I do!" Squall pointed out defensively. "Zell, this is fucking serious. I don't _get it_."

"You don't need to," Zell muttered.

"What did Seifer tell you? Is he brainwashing you or something? How can your feelings about him change over night?"

Zell spun on his heel. "It isn't over night!!" He shouted angrily enough that the guards came running, grabbing his elbows. "It's been ten goddamn years, and I think I'm the only one who sees that. You and Xu are so fucking...." He hissed his breath in. "You know what? Fucking forget it."

"Zell....!" Squall put a hand out to touch Zell's shoulder, but let his arm drop at his side instead. Zell was dragged away by the guards down an ominous looking hallway. Squall was left there alone, as confused as everyone else to Zell's motives. He silently walked back up to the main floors of the Palace to find Xu and Quistis. He knew he should probably check on Rinoa, but Zell's siding with Seifer against Esthar authorities brought up a lot of Garden red tape that he knew he'd have to help sort out, even though he despised that sort of thing. When he came to the conference room that Garden used in the Palace, he saw that Quistis was trying to talk Xu down, and that Xu was pacing. No, stalking around the room. She was pissed.

"Why?" Xu demanded. "With all the shit that's going on now with Diablos, and now with Odine, why would Zell want to involve himself in the train wreck that's Seifer's mess of a life?"

"I.... I don't know." Quistis shrugged, looking past Squall when there was a gentle knock on the door. It was a page who brought Quistis a stack of mail and various other things.

"Squall, did you get anything out of him?" Xu asked, finally sitting down.

The brunette shook his head. "Nothing. He was very defensive with me." Squall's voice didn't show the worry he was feeling for his friend.

"Well, I'm stumped." Xu ran her hands through her hair. "You think maybe Seifer does have some sort of magic powers, and he's manipulating Zell somehow?"

"I even brought that up. Zell didn't seem to care much for that inference."

Xu and Squall's conversation was going into Quistis's brain, and she processed their words, but it turned into white noise when she opened an envelope from her assistant back at Garden. There was no note inside, but there didn't need to be. "Well...." Quistis trailed off, looking at the cover of the magazine that had been delivered to her. "I think we just found out Zell's reasons for protecting Seifer." Quistis was surprised to see the cover of the Timber Inquisitor. It was a trashy tabloid, but the picture on the cover didn't lie. It was a rare sunny backdrop of Timber by a trolley stop, where the photographer had clearly captured two very familiar people embracing the way that lovers do. That day after Seifer had found out that Edea and Cid were his parents, the day after Diablos had almost killed them, they'd thought they'd gotten away with a kiss without anyone seeing them. But, the photographer that had been following around the Sorceress's Knight had been watching, and it was now page one. There was also an insert from Esthar. Quistis recognized it as just outside Odine's labs. Another moment where Seifer and Zell had thought they'd been away from prying eyes.

Quistis was surprised to see two former hated rivals kissing deeply, and yet she wasn't surprised at the same time. She had noticed the change in their relationship, the change of emotions in their eyes when they'd looked at each other. It was so very different from ten years ago. She turned the magazine around to Xu and Squall could see the cover. Xu's chin almost dropped to her chest, and Squall's blue eyes widened so mostly whites were showing.

There was a very heavy silence for a very long time. "But.... it's the Inquisitor. That's a piece of trash," Xu pointed out haltingly. "It could be a fake."

"It looks real enough," Quistis pointed out rationally. "And, it would explain all of Seifer and Zell's behaviour."

"But.... but.... but....." That was the only word that Xu could get to leave her lips. Squall barely moved a muscle, completely frozen in shock.

"Maybe there's an article...." Quistis trailed off, flipping through the pages and through other useless stories about ridiculous things.

"What's the article going to tell you that the picture doesn't?" Xu asked, her voice chilly. She was finding herself again, and that anger was also returning. "So.... I guess Zell's decided to betray Garden for _him._"

"Now, Xu please." Quistis found the article that went along with the story. Xu had been right. It didn't tell anything that the picture on the cover didn't. "He's not 'betraying' anyone. What would any of us have done in his shoes? What would Squall have done if this was Rinoa? What _did_ he do when it was Rinoa?" She asked, thinking back ten years to when Rinoa had been taken to the Sorceress Memorial.

"This is different," Squall said quietly. "Rinoa didn't kill anyone."

"She did free Adel, though." Quistis closed the tabloid and put it down on the table.

"This is different!" Squall shouted, rising to his feet. "Rinoa's a girl!" Squall closed his mouth after saying that, a slight flush coming into his cheeks. "Why would Zell have lied about being... you know....?"

Quistis narrowed her sapphire eyes behind her eyeglasses. "Maybe because he was afraid this was the sort of reaction he'd get from people who claimed to be his friends."

Xu also stood up, and started pacing again. Squall stared across the table at Quistis, a little anger in his eyes at her harsh words to him. Quistis stared right back, disappointment in Squall written all over her face. "But... Seifer Almasy of all people? Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Seifer is a queer."

"Xu!" Quistis exclaimed. "What is wrong with you two? At least now we know why Zell is protecting Seifer. And, I for one understand. Sure, we all may be very _surprised_, but that's no reason to be hateful."

Xu took in a deep breath. "Well, perhaps Zell was afraid to tell the truth because of what his friends would say, but maybe he also knew that it could cause problems."

"Problems?" Quistis asked.

"Not only has Zell assisted in breaking Esthar law and defying orders of disclosure from a member of the Garden Tribunal, but now.... well, Garden has a strict code of ethics, rules that are set to give our younger students examples on how to live as a soldier. Rules that even SeeD have to follow."

"You would sanction Zell for falling in love?" Quistis wondered. "Especially on such a loophole rule?"

"Rules are rules, Quisty. You know that."

Quistis made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and went to the door. But, before she left, she looked over her shoulder. "I hope you realize that I'll oppose you on any sort of punishment based solely on Zell's personal life, especially when it has nothing to do with punishing Zell at all, and everything to do with punishing Seifer."

Xu let out an angry noise as Quistis stalked from the room. "Damn you, Seifer...." Xu hissed under her breath. "Look what you've ruined just by being anywhere near Garden again." She also left, leaving Squall alone in the room, his eyes unable to look anywhere else. How long had this been going on? Since Zell, Selphie and Irvine were assigned to Timber? And, did Selphie and Irvine know about it? Squall rubbed his forehead, a tense headache now pounding behind his eyes. Now that his shock had worn off, Squall could start to ask himself questions, hoping to straighten this all out in his head.

So, had Zell been lying this whole time? Rinoa had commented quite a few times in the past how lonely Zell must have been. They'd only ever known of a girlfriend once, and it was that girl from the library that had always had a crush on him. But, for the past decade, he'd kept to himself, always been solitary. But, had he always been solitary, Squall wondered. Or, had there been secret lovers that only Zell knew about? Did Zell think that he couldn't tell Squall the truth? Was Squall really that closed-minded?

He slowly looked over at the magazine again, laying so harmlessly on the table, and yet commanding so much attention. Would Squall's shock be less if it were any man other than Seifer Almasy? Maybe. Maybe not. He just couldn't seem to wrap his mind around the fact that Zell liked _men, _and more importantly, the man he liked was Seifer of all people.

It was a fact that Squall and Zell hadn't seen each other much due to Zell being in Timber, but Squall had noticed a change in him. He'd seemed... happier. Squall had just chalked it up to Zell enjoying being away from Garden and actually having an assignment, but he guessed that wasn't the whole picture. So, it was Seifer that had brought that kind of smile to Zell's face, a purpose to his actions? So, did this picture of them kissing mean that Zell and Seifer were.... _sleeping together_? It just seemed so far-fetched. Squall didn't even want to think about it, and yet his mind would let him think of nothing else. Even more far-fetched... were Seifer and Zell in love? Squall sighed and left the room, folding up the magazine and taking it with him. What a strange last couple of days. First he finds out that Laguna and Edea are sleeping together, then he finds out that Zell and Seifer have some kind of relationship, too. A relationship that would make Zell risk everything to protect Seifer.

Maybe Squall could understand that much. He thought of what Quistis said, about wanting to do anything to protect Rinoa, so why was it different for Seifer and Zell? Squall felt a little ashamed of what he'd said about Rinoa 'being a girl'. He wasn't homophobic or anything. It just.... he never thought he'd have to deal with the idea with anyone he knew, especially not his best friend. Instead of going back to his room, or to his office, Squall walked back down to the prison compound. The cells didn't have bars on them, but rather were bullet-proof glass with air holes drilled into them. Squall stood on the other side of the glass from Zell, just watching him for a while. Zell hadn't noticed he was there, and was sitting on the cot, staring at the wall. Squall could see the worry etched on Zell's face. Worry that wasn't reserved for himself at all.

Squall pulled up a chair, and the legs scraping against the concrete floor got Zell's attention. He looked over at Squall and frowned. "What, did Xu send you back down?"

Squall silently passed the magazine through the slot that was used for food delivery. Zell gave Squall a confused look, then picked up the magazine. When he saw the picture, he blushed and pursed his lips. But, when he looked up to meet Squall's eyes, there was no shame there. "I guess I don't have to think of a way to tell you now."

"But, why _didn't_ you ever tell me?!" Squall demanded quietly.

"You're a hard person to confide in," Zell said.

Squall's mouth opened, but he either couldn't find the words, or thought against them. "I would have understood."

Zell stared at Squall for a long time, the glass between them as more than a physical barrier. "I think you know that's a lie."

"Why Seifer?" Squall asked sharply. "Maybe..."

"Maybe if it had been anyone but him?"

"But, you hate him."

"He's not the same person anymore. Neither am I."

Squall frowned, crossing his arms. "If he isn't the same person, he has a funny way of showing it."

"That was because of Ultimecia."

"It's always because of her, isn't it? She must be a nice excuse to fall back on."

"It's not an excuse."

"And, you're in here because of it." Squall gestured bitterly to the glass.

"He never asked me to do this for him. In fact, he's probably pissed off that I did. You know, I'm kinda surprised that you're so dense about him, Squall. I mean, when we were in Garden, you knew him better than his own friends knew him, but you're totally clueless too."

"How is it clueless that I don't trust him?" Squall stood up angrily. "Maybe you being stuck in here will teach you not to trust Seifer."

Zell shook his head. "Why can't you just let it go...?"

Squall just angrily stood up. "I hope you learn your lesson out of this, Zell."

"What lesson would that be?" Zell's voice called as Squall walked away. "About trusting Seifer, or about liking men?"

Zell sighed, running a hand through his hair, finding that his fingers were shaking. On one hand, he was angry at Squall on Seifer's behalf, and angry at the fact that Squall finding out about them went exactly as Zell feared it would. But, on the other hand, Zell still considered Squall his best friend, and it made him sad that Squall had to find out about him and Seifer from the cover of some tabloid. And, that Squall was angry with him for wanting to protect Seifer. If Zell hadn't had every bit of complete trust in Seifer, he also would have been angry about being locked up for something he had _nothing_ to do with. But, Zell believed that Seifer was just as much a victim as even Odine. so didn't regret his decision. But, that was the only thing he wasn't feeling regret about. Squall had deserved better than finding out from a magazine. He felt very conflicted, and also stuck right in the middle. Squall was being very stubborn about Seifer, but Seifer was also being very stubborn about Squall. Zell wasn't afraid of the Esthar guards, knowing his SeeD status would save him. But, he was worried about how Xu's long-standing grudge with Seifer would affect him.

Rinoa sat in front of the elaborate and antique vanity in the room that Laguna had provided for her and Squall. He always gave them the nicest room in the whole Palace. Rinoa figured it was a small way of Laguna trying to make up for not being there when Squall was growing up, not being there when Raine needed him most. She felt weary because of what Odine had done to them, and what she'd seen Odine reduced to. Her whole body felt like jelly, as if everything inside her turned to liquid. She just stayed sitting at the vanity, even though she'd brushed her hair too much already. Rinoa just didn't feel that her legs could support her weight. But, apparently she was fine, according to a doctor. A little weak and out of sorts, but otherwise healthy. And, another little gem of information. She was pregnant.

Pregnant.

At first, she was just surprised. She took the pill, but she guessed she was that minuscule 1% that it didn't work for. Then, she'd been scared. She'd brought up the idea of children to Squall before, and he'd always replied with a cold shoulder. Children wasn't something he was interested in, at least not now. What would he say? Then, she'd been happy. A baby. A baby with her husband, a man she thought of as her Knight, as her true love. She was sure that Squall would love the idea too. Eventually. The problem was actually _telling_ him. She'd also been scared that Odine's experiment could have done something to the baby she'd only just found out about. But, the doctor had said no worries. She just needed rest.

__

Yeah, a nap might be nice, Rinoa's conscience told her. A voice that normally would have just been her own mind telling her what to do. But, she was tired enough not to notice that the voice in her head wasn't her own. It was a soothing male voice. One that was lulling her into a deeper feeling of fatigue. _A nap might be nice._

Rinoa went over to the bed, deciding that she could just tell Squall after she had a quick nap. After all, her husband often disappeared for long periods of time, doing his own thing, or different business for Garden. As soon as she closed her eyes, she was asleep, off to dreamland. Normally, Rinoa may not have dreamed, but that same soothing male voice that had lulled her into a nap took her to a place that she often dreamed about. The flower field where she and Squall had promised to find each other.

__

Congratulations on your pregnancy, my dear.

Rinoa looked around, wondering who was talking to her. Maybe it was Squall. After all, she dreamed of him and this place often. But, in place of Edea's familiar orphanage was a cathedral in an architectural style that Rinoa had never seen before. She felt very serene in this place, and sat among the flowers as she usually did in her dreams, waiting for her Knight to come.

__

This place is quite beautiful, isn't it? Blessed with the earthly beauty that Sanviar has bestowed upon us.

Rinoa furrowed her brow and looked around. That didn't sound like anything Squall would say. She saw a man in black standing behind her, but not close enough to invade her personal space.

__

I didn't mean to startle you, he said without his lips moving. He slowly walked to where Rinoa was sitting among the daisies, dahlias, marigolds, amaryllises and peonies. He smiled down at her with a friendly, open smile that put Rinoa at ease. She felt a curling in her stomach though, as if she could already feel the baby inside her. _May I join you?_

Before Rinoa could respond, the man sat beside her. She noticed that he was dressed in black because he was wearing a vicar's frock. He casually put his hands on his knees, smiling at her.

"Who are you?" Rinoa asked quietly.

__

Just a friend, he answered, again his lips not moving. _You must be very happy. A child is a wonderful blessing._

"Yes...." Rinoa answered at length, tucking some hair behind her ears. "Yeah, I'm really happy."

__

You're worried about how to tell your husband. The priest smiled at her, his golden hair shining in the sunlight.

"Maybe a little."

__

You shouldn't be. He is cold, but he is full of love.

Rinoa smiled at this. It was something she'd personally thought about Squall almost since she first met him. "I just wonder if we're ready."

__

You are. You know you are. But, there could be things that will halt your happiness.

"Things?" Rinoa asked casually. "What things?"

__

Evil presences.

Rinoa's eyebrows raised, and she couldn't help the feeling of panic that was starting to rise within her. She thought about what had happened in Odine's labs, about hearing Ultimecia's voice, and Seifer losing control and killing the doctor. She actually looked around the quiet flower field, almost expecting to see Ultimecia standing there.

__

Do not worry. That sorceress isn't what I speak of. The priest leaned in close to Rinoa, and whispered something in her ear. If Rinoa would have ever wanted to repeat it, she wouldn't have been able to. As soon as the words were audible, she was unable to remember what they were. But, she could remember the feeling of them, wrapping around her like a warm and comfortable blanket. She could hear the priest's voice in her mind, feel his warm breath against her ear and the side of her face. But, she couldn't understand or remember what he was telling her, what these beautiful words were. They lulled her into a sleepy state, the smell of the flowers starting to become heady and overwhelming. She lay back against the grass and flowers, eyes becoming heavy. Rinoa yawned and fell into a dreamless sleep, her body and mind now both back in her room in the Presidential Palace.

But, the priest stayed sitting where he was, Rinoa's familiar flower field not really hers at all, but a recreation from ancient power. Alexander sighed, contented with himself as he rested his chin on his knees. With his mind and his power, he kept whispering ancient incantations into Rinoa's subconscious like a lullaby. She would never remember the words, but the residue of them would remain, and would help Alexander in his task. A human like Rinoa Heartilly-Leonhart was so below Daeva's radar that she was the perfect weapon against him, and Alexander intended to use her for just that purpose.

Seifer was sitting in a dingy little restaurant in Fisherman's Horizon near the train station. His hands were shaking around a mug of surprisingly good coffee. His legs still didn't seem to want to work, and every time someone walked by him, he'd look up expecting them to the be the Esthar guards. He was also still so very cold from his fight with Shiva. But, it wasn't cold that was making him shiver. It was worry for Zell, and shame at himself. Here he was, running again. But, there was still too much fear in him to instantly get back up and take the next train back to Esthar. But, he felt too restless to stay in this dive of a cafe. He got up, his head pounding. Why had he let this happen to himself again? Ultimecia's sway had made him kill again, and it had made him run again. He was just so tired of it. As he passed a news stand, he smiled a little at a picture of two people kissing on the cover of one of them. It made him think of what it was like to kiss Zell. But, his already shaky legs nearly gave out from under him when he realized that it was indeed a picture of himself and Zell kissing. He reached out to pick up the magazine, all his breath leaving him. But, he snatched his hand away quickly, stumbling away from the stand.

Had someone been watching them? The realization that Garden would have seen this hit him like a fist in the gut. Shit.... that meant Squall knew. That meant that Cid knew. Seifer didn't care what his 'father' thought, but he did care what it meant for Zell's career as SeeD. Squall and that bitch Xu were probably waving that tabloid in Zell's face, asking him a million questions, demanding answers. The shakiness in Seifer's muscles vanished with his new resolve. There was no fucking way he was going to hide out in Fisherman's Horizon while Zell dealt with the fallout for everything. Seifer would not run again. He wouldn't hide behind a new name and let himself be berated and spit upon anymore. But, before he went to the train station, he stopped at a shopping center and picked up a few things, deciding to come back in a style fit for a Sorceress's Knight. If everyone wanted to keep thinking of him like that, he would give them something to think about.

He got on the first thing smoking towards Esthar and watched the ocean move past him. He still felt a chill in the air when they passed the spot where he and Shiva had been fighting. Hyne, he was lucky to still be alive. But, his fight with her did make him put things in perspective. It made him give Diablos a lot more credit, and the fear that his powers deserved. The train arrived in the city quickly. Maybe too quickly. It didn't really give Seifer a chance to back out, to hide again. After all, what was he going to tell the authorities? He couldn't tell them what he didn't know. All he knew was that he heard Ultimecia's voice, her mocking laugh and her taunting words, and then Odine was dead. Getting off the train, he saw another news stand, but this time picked up the tabloid that had his rather private moment with Zell plastered very publicly all over its cover. Seifer didn't just stroll through the streets once he arrived in Esthar. No, he wanted to walk into the Palace on his own terms, not under arrest by guards. He actually found it quite easy to evade the patrol. Just like sneaking out of Garden when he was a kid.

He found the whole thing really easy, which sort of disappointed him. He would have been even more disappointed if he wasn't so worried about Zell, and about himself. He knew that coming back was the right and _only_ thing to do, but he was still shit scared. He found his way into the Presidential Palace easily enough, but then came across the problem that he didn't know where Zell was. He first had to find his way into the cells, which took a lot of crazy paths and Seifer having to wiggle through spots that were much too small for his tall frame. But, when he thought again of just turning back, all he had to do was think of how blue Zell's eyes were, and the fact that he was locked up in this hellhole for something that was Seifer's fault, all to protect him. Seifer found himself on a catwalk that overlooked a cement hallway that was very different from the rest of Esthar. This was dark and grimy and dirty. Befitting of a prison.

There was a guard sitting at a table, and lucky for Seifer, he was shirking his duties. He was reading a magazine, the long hall of glass cells left unwatched. Seifer was sure there were cameras everywhere, but he didn't mean to run away. He just wanted a few minutes alone with Zell before they caught him, before they put him in one of these cells. He just wanted to tell Zell that he was sorry, that he didn't mean to kill Odine. Maybe now that Zell had some time to stew, he thought against risking everything to help a murderer escape.

Seifer slowly and silently crawled down the scaffolding of the catwalk, wincing when his feet scraped against the cement floor. But, the guard didn't seem to notice, because he didn't move except to flip a page in his magazine. Seifer kept to the shadows as he looked into the cells. Most of them were empty. Esthar after all did have a rather low crime rate. Must have been nice in comparison to Timber. But, Seifer supposed that most of the recent crime was Diablos's fault. The few prisoners that were locked up were sleeping, and Seifer's heart constricted when he saw Zell reclining on a cot in one of the cells. He hated to see Zell locked up like this. Like an animal, when it was Seifer himself that was the animal. He walked up to the glass, pressing his palm to it, not saying anything. Now that he was back, he couldn't really think of _what_ to say.

Zell sighed. The guards had come and told them it was 'lights out', but he hadn't been able to sleep. Zell was thinking of the last time he'd been jailed. Back ten years ago, when Edea had been possessed by Ultimecia. It was always her, always Ultimecia. Now, it was Ultimecia that had dictated Seifer's actions. Hyne, Zell hoped that he was okay. What if the Esthar guards had gotten overzealous and just shot Seifer on sight? Laguna would never allow that, but they could have said it was an accident. What if.....? Zell noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, and casually looked over to see someone staring in the cell. He blinked a few times, thinking that he was in a dream or a memory. But, the memory was whispering his name.

The small blonde sat up, getting off his cot. He slowly walked over to the glass, putting his hand up to where a _blonde_ Seifer had his hand pressed, only the glass separating their fingers. Seifer's brown hair was gone, back to the blonde that Zell remembered from their childhood. He was also wearing a pale grey coat, similar to the one that had been his trademark, but not exactly. He also wasn't wearing his eyeglasses. "Seifer....?" Zell whispered. "What....?"

Seifer ran a hand through his hair in such a typically Seifer Almasy motion. "Gotta always make an entrance, Dincht. You know that." He smirked, but around his eyes was tight with worry. "Are you okay?"

Zell nodded, smiling at the gentle concern in Seifer's voice. But, then he frowned angrily, glaring up at the other man. "What the fuck are you doing here? Why didn't you escape? I stalled them so you could get far enough away...."

"I'm not going to let them punish you for what I did. I can't run away again."

"Seifer...."

"No," he interrupted. "Look at what they're doing to you because of me."

"It's not like you forced me. I did it because I l--" Zell let out his breath, not finishing his sentence.

Seifer stared at Zell for a few moments, thinking about how Shiva had looked right into him when he'd tried to protest feelings of love for Zell. Like she'd been able to see through the lie. "I know, Zell."

"You should run," Zell begged quietly. "The guard will come soon."

"Let him," Seifer insisted. "I'm not leaving."

"Seifer!" Zell's hand that was against the glass balled into a fist. "They aren't going to be easy on you...."

"I know."

Zell shook his head. "Your hair...."

"You don't like it?" Seifer furrowed his brow a little, wondering if his old blonde hair would give Zell ugly flashbacks.

"I do...... but, why?"

"I want to stop running. And, that means.... leaving Raef behind for good, too."

"Did... did you see the tabloids?"

"Yeah," Seifer whispered, forehead now pressed to the glass. "It was a nice picture of us." He looked into Zell's icy eyes. "What did Squall say?"

"Not well," Zell answered bitterly.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Hey, HEY!" The guard shouted, finally having looked up from his magazine. "What are you doing over there?"

"Seifer, please....."

"No."

"Hey, it's you!" The guard shouted, tackling Seifer to the ground, who didn't try to fight back at all. The guard started speaking into a communicator within his uniform.

"Stop it!" Zell shouted. "He's not fighting you back!" Zell slammed his fists against the glass, stupidly trying to break out or something. He knew he couldn't, but he hated just having to stand there and watch this guard assault Seifer, who Zell knew could have utterly destroyed his opponent, but who wasn't fighting back at all. Two more guards came out of nowhere, talking quickly into their communicators for backup. They also fell into the one-sided scuffle. Zell flinched when he heard some sort of crack, and saw blood shoot out from the mess of flailing limbs. "Stop!" Zell shouted again, slamming his palms against the glass.

"That's enough!!" A voice shouted. Laguna came running down the hall, his long hair trailing behind him. "STOP!" He yelled in a way that Zell had never heard Laguna yell before. The guards must have been surprised too, for they jumped back, but still held Seifer's arms, dragging him painfully to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Zell asked when he saw the blood running down Seifer's cheek from his nose, dripping onto the floor.

"Yeah," Seifer muttered, wiping his chin with the back of his hand.

"Shut up!" The first guard hissed, elbowing Seifer in the back of the neck, which made him crumple to his knees.

"Didn't I tell you to stop?" Laguna yelled. He grabbed the front of the guard's uniform and shoved him away. Laguna crouched in front of Seifer. "You okay?"

Seifer just nodded, looking up at Laguna. Yes, Laguna had intervened for him, but he couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen him doing with Edea.

"Your hair is blonde again...." Laguna reached out as if to touch the top of Seifer's head, but pulled his hand back again.

"I won't run anymore. And, I won't let them punish Zell for something he didn't do."

"You got him?!" A familiar voice to Seifer shouted up the hallway. He heard running footsteps as he struggled to his feet, his ribs protesting. He'd already been sore from his fight with Shiva, and the assault from the guards hadn't helped matters. Seifer's upper lip curled into a sneer when he saw Xu, followed by Squall and Quistis. Squall looked at Seifer's hair and seemed taken aback. Quistis was looking at him with a blank expression, but Xu's face wasn't blank. It was showing anger and victory. "You aren't as good as you think you are, I guess...." Xu muttered.

"I turned myself in. On my own terms." Seifer just smiled meanly at her, letting the blood drip down his face, hitting the ground with audible plops.

"To protect your little boyfriend?" Xu asked, not even looking at Zell. She had all her attention on a man that she despised. Xu was normally a very calm and even-tempered woman, but Seifer Almasy brought out the worst of her temper. They'd never gotten along as children. Xu had always hated how Seifer had never tried, never studied, and he'd always gotten higher grades than her. She'd hated how easily everything had come to him, how popular he'd been. But, his attitude had held him back, whereas Xu's had let her ride the ranks up to Garden Administration. Seifer had been a bully, even Zell would agree to that, and he'd teased Xu mercilessly when they'd been young. Xu had never forgiven Seifer for his humiliating words, words that while very painful, had that ugly ring of truth to them.

"Yes," Seifer answered calmly. "I won't let them punish Zell for something I did."

"Esthar won't be punishing Zell. He is under Garden jurisdiction."

"I won't run," Seifer stated. "I guess that's where we differ, eh Commander?"

Xu flinched as if Seifer had slapped her. Xu and Seifer, as well as Quistis, had taken their first SeeD exam all in the same year. Seifer and Xu had been on the same squad. Their assignment had been to go to Deling City and subdue a criminal syndicate that was selling illegal arms to Fisherman's Horizon anarchists. Quistis had been on the squad that went to Fisherman's Horizon to head off a shipment, whereas Seifer and Xu had been assigned to Deling along with a couple other squads to cut off the company at its home point. It had ended in a rather bloody gunfight where all the syndicate had either been killed or arrested, but it hadn't been an easy road. Xu had been the Captain, and they'd been ambushed by some of the gang, and she'd had a moment of total fear, of realizing that she herself was just a child and she was facing death in a situation that most adults couldn't even handle. She'd ran out of the room, but had left two of her men behind as guns had been pressed to their temples. Xu had wound up finding the leader of the gang and bringing him in by herself, but running away as two men had been shot was something that Seifer had seen. He'd seen her run, he'd seen the men shot like animals while Xu turned her back on them.

Garden had called it casualties of a mission, but Seifer never let her forget that her rise to the top was splattered with blood. Perhaps Xu hated him so much because he was a face that reminded her of her past failure, reminded her of the dead bodies she'd left behind.

"But, you did run," Xu answered. "You ran when Ultimecia made it convenient for you to turn your back on Garden."

It was Seifer's turn to flinch. "Doesn't help that Garden pushed me away."

"That's irrelevant now," Xu snapped. "You may release Captain Dincht." Xu looked at Laguna, who was glaring at his guards. "President Loire, will you make sure that he's detained properly? Mister Almasy has a way of escaping."

One of the guards went over to a control panel and opened Zell's cell. He quickly came out and went towards Seifer, but the taller man was jerked away hard enough that he lost his footing and stumbled. He was rewarded with a jab to the breadbasket.

"Seifer...." Zell whispered just under his breath.

"I'll be okay," Seifer whispered back, quickly reaching out and touching Zell's chin. His arm was yanked away and he was dragged down the hallway.

"Always lovely to see you Commander," Seifer mused as he passed Xu, spitting out a mouthful of blood, which just missed hitting her in the face. Seifer looked at Squall as he passed. "Is Rinoa okay?" He asked quietly. "I know that my legs still won't work right from after the session with Odine."

"Shaddup," one of the guards slurred, pushing Seifer along.

Squall just nodded, watching as they took Seifer away.

"I expect to see you at Garden two days from now," Xu said to Zell, barely turning to look at him. Seifer's little comment stung her, and looking at the tattooed blonde only reminded her more of Seifer. "You will have a Tribunal hearing on the sixth of October."

"A hearing?" Zell echoed. "But, what about Sei--?"

"That no longer concerns you. It's in the hands of the Esthar government. You should be more worried about what repercussions your actions will have on your position at Garden."

"But...." Zell began.

Xu raised a hand, finally turning to look at Zell, her dark eyes blazing. "No protests, soldier. It would be wise not to show insubordination now." She spun on her heel and left.

"Come on," Quistis said quietly, putting a hand on Zell's shoulder. "I'm sure you want to bathe and rest...."

"You know what I want," Zell said smoothly, glaring at Xu's receding back.

"We'll see what we can find out from Laguna."

Zell just nodded, his gaze meeting Squall's. Zell saw the crease in Squall's brow, knowing it meant that Squall was thinking deeply. He sighed, and let Quistis lead him back towards the main floors of the Palace.

Seifer lay back on the cot of his cell, trying not to think about Odine's death, or about Xu. Xu.... what a cunt. Yeah, she was good at her job, Seifer would even give her that. She was tactically brilliant, but he couldn't ever look at her the same way again. Watching someone get their brains blown out as their Commander turned her back and ran was something that Seifer had to live with his entire life. She didn't even see it happen. They'd been silently crying, not wanting to show weakness by outwardly weeping. But.... maybe he was just like her. He'd run away too. His hate for her was built the same was as Xu's hate for him, because they were a mirror of each other. Seifer had run and left dead bodies in his wake, too. He wouldn't do that again.

Instead of thinking about all of that, he decided to think about Zell. It would have been nice to wrap his arms around Zell, to feel the strength of his muscles and smell the scent of his skin. He would have liked to have felt Zell's fingers run through his hair, or feel Zell breathe against the side of his neck right about now. He wasn't even thinking about fucking Zell. Thought that would have been nice, Seifer was desiring more the small embraces he wanted more than anything. He just wanted to touch Zell's skin and look into his eyes, because that would have made him feel calm. And, he wasn't feeling calm right now. He was actually feeling pretty shit-scared. Esthar wasn't known for being forgiving, even if the President was banging his mother.

Did Edea know he was here? Seifer was sure he wasn't allowed visitors, even if she wanted to come. And, what about Cid? What would he do about Zell? Seifer knew that Zell would see some sort of punishment from Garden. Xu would probably want to cut his dick off, just to spite Seifer. That worried him. That Xu would want to punish Zell just as a way to punish Seifer. Maybe if Seifer got jail-time for Odine's death, it would be.... better for Zell. Look what happened to Raijin and Fujin. Fujin could have had a life at Garden, but her loyalty to Seifer made her turn and run, just like him. Such a fucking coward he was. And, Raijin.... Raijin was dead. Dead by Seifer's hands. What if Seifer wound up hurting Zell, too? He'd hurt Zell hundreds of times in the past, when they were kids, but now.... Zell was the only one who _believed_ in him. Zell had risked his future for Seifer. Fujin and Raijin had done that for him, and he supposed that Edea did as well, protecting him from Ultimecia as best she could, but this was a little different. Zell was his...._lover._

Seifer groaned, putting his hand to his stomach. The guards had done quite the number on him. He could have easily ripped them apart, but he knew that would have made things much worse. Breathing was even a task. He was now dressed in a black jumpsuit that was issued for Estharian prisoners, his feet bare and his watch confiscated. Laguna said he'd do everything he could to help Seifer, but they hadn't talked past that. They were both still rather embarrassed about the whole situation between Laguna and Edea. The air felt heavy, like an anvil on his chest. He used the heel of his hand to pound at his breastbone, his lungs trying to get air. What was happening....? It felt _wrong._

He looked up and saw what could have been his reflection in the glass, but it wasn't. Someone was watching him. Seifer had to take deep, painful breaths to get air into his body, seeing the man watching him still, putting his fingers to the glass. His face was classically handsome with an air of dark mystery and power to him. His hair was brown and brushed off his face, and somehow he looked familiar to Seifer, but he was sure he'd remember someone who exuded power like this. Even Edea or Ultimecia didn't feel this powerful, this ancient, this... inhuman. The pale fingers traced along the glass, leaving pale violet trails in some sort of abstract pattern. Seifer slowly got off the cot, his legs still not wanting to work properly. As he got closer, he saw that the random picture that this mysterious man's fingers were tracing wasn't random at all. It was an arcane image, what looked like a rune. When the image was complete, the heavy feeling in the air lessened, and Seifer was actually able to breathe. He took in huge gulps of air, putting his hands to the glass, which vibrated with magic that shook Seifer's nerves.

The man stared back at Seifer, just watching him with dark, dark eyes. Seifer felt like he was being sucked into a black hole, the oxygen leaving him all over again. Only when their gaze was broken was Seifer able to breathe properly again. The man walked down the dark hallway and out of sight, his shadow strange. Not human. When Seifer saw the shape of his shadow disappearing along with him, Seifer knew why he'd looked familiar. He'd never met this man before, but he had met his daughter. There was a family resemblance between Tiamat and Bahamut. The shadow had been in the shape of the dragon, and the power had been millions of years worth of magic in the air.

Seifer touched the glass where Etanin Alwaid's fingers had traced the violet rune. An electrical current went through Seifer's fingers, and he stepped back. Any magic that one didn't understand was potentially very dangerous, so Seifer went and sat on his cot, far away from the rune. Though, he'd touched it.... He nervously looked at the tips of his fingers. What had Bahamut meant with the rune, and why had he been there? Was it as part of Diablos's plan? But, from what Shiva had said, and even Tiamat, Bahamut wouldn't be Diablos's lapdog, even if they were 'close'. So, that just made the visit all the more strange. Seifer lay back on the cot again, still able to feel the magic tingling in his fingertips.

Diablos watched Nha'zora dance in her human form. He liked forcing her to stay in human form, liked the weakness it gave her, and the power it gave him. He was in his true form, sitting on a low-backed throne that allowed room for his massive wings. He was watching her curvaceous human form, but his mind was elsewhere. On Shiva, wondering what was transpiring there. His clairvoyance wouldn't show him the events. Diablos felt power in the air, but it wasn't anything to be concerned about. It was the power of Siren.

__

Viaxhar dy-kur a'varxqua. Siren came into the room in a flurry of gold dust, using an ancient greeting. Formalities. She was here on Court business.

__

What do you want? He watched as Nha'zora hesitated. He could also feel Ulurha stirring on the grand bed, in his full Varuna form. "Keep dancing," he commanded angrily of Nha'zora, pointing a long black claw at her.

__

Delivering a message, Daeva.

Isn't that my job?

Siren kneeled beside Diablos, her feathers brushing his arm, glowing against the blackness of his scales. _Lord Bahamut sent me._

And? Diablos's monstrous face didn't show his worry that Etanin just didn't come himself.

__

He's put up barriers so you cannot attack your human foes again. Ancient runes of Scharvka.

Oh.... Diablos shot up out of his throne and shoved Nha'zora without warning. She went toppling against the wall, snarling angrily as she became her true Varuna form. She snarled at Diablos, swooping towards him. "Kuth xharvar!!" He shouted at her, which caused her to shrink back and slink out of the room. Ulurha stayed where he was, though.

__

Shiva didn't kill Seifer Almasy. She thought better of it, and Bahamut isn't pleased that you tried to use her to get your way.

She couldn't even finish a simple task.

I'm here to give you a warning, Daeva. Watch your step.

I don't need direction from you.

Shiva's pretty face drew together in a frown. "Whatever you say," she muttered, leaving in the same cloud of gold dust that she'd arrived in.

Diablos carefully sat back down on his throne, blank eyes looking over to Ulurha, whose sulphuric yellow eyes were watching him carefully. "So, what do you make of this mess, Ulurha?" Diablos asked in a demonic language that he used to speak with his Varunas.

Ulurha glided across the room, draping very long arms across Diablos's broad shoulders. He whispered in his master's ear, fangs bared in an evil smile.

Diablos made a contented noise, stroking claws over the spine of Ulurha's wing. "Hmmmm.... quite the thoughtful idea. Bring me the necessary items."

Ulurha nodded, leaving on silent wings. Diablos stared into nothing, anger rising in him. Shiva's rationality did put a damper on things, but what hurt more was Bahamut's intervention. All for humans?? Diablos gave a come-hither motion with one clawed finger to a gold bowl in the corner. It floated towards him. Inside was water, and when Diablos breathed over it, the water smoked like fog over an ocean's surface. He stirred the water with a fingernail, waiting for Ulurha to return. Bahamut had used an ancient rune of protection on the humans, meaning that Diablos's hand couldn't touch them now. But, the demon still had tricks up his sleeve, and it was time to reveal them. Ulurha returned with various bottled items, and Diablos added them to the smoking water, which turned an ugly shade of red. Diablos gave a fanged, victorious grin to the bowl of magical water when the reflection of a face surfaced to the claret surface. The face of one who had helped him in the past, and failed. One that would help him again.

The face of Raijin.


	12. Chapter 12

****

Twelve

"Hey, Almasy! You got a visitor."

Seifer looked away from the ceiling, which is what he'd been staring at all morning. Or, maybe it was afternoon now. He kept looking at his wrist, but the naked skin where his watch had been couldn't tell him the time, his blurry wrist. Along with his watch, they'd taken his contact lenses, so now he was half-blind. His heart fluttered a little, because he was expecting to see Zell's face. He knew his face visibly fell when he saw that wasn't the case. "Oh, it's you."

Edea pursed her lips sadly at the obvious lack of joy Seifer had in seeing her. "How are you?"

Seifer stood up, casually walking towards the glass. Edea's eyebrows raised at the sight of his natural hair colour. "As well as can be expected, I suppose. What brings you down here?"

"I wanted to see you."

"Well, here I am."

Edea shook her head. "Is it so strange that a mother would want to see her son?" She nervously put her hands in the pockets of the white slacks she was wearing. "You changed your hair."

"Well, I'm not Raef Emaissyl anymore, so don't need to pretend to have brown hair."

"Laguna's doing all he can in your defence. It helps that both Rinoa and myself were there, and know that Odine's experiment was not innocent."

"I'll have to thank him, though I'm sure Laguna's not doing it for me." He gave Edea a poignant gaze.

"I..... I'm sorry you had to see us like that."

"Have you told Cid yet?"

Edea looked at the floor, making various small, nervous gestures. "It's not the right time."

"You better make it the right time soon. It'll be harder and harder to tell him if you keep holding it off. I know what I'm talking about. It became easier and easier to pretend that I wasn't Seifer Almasy anymore as time went on. But, the truth always comes out."

"I know...."

"Did you or Rinoa hear her like I did?"

"I heard her," Edea said surely. "I heard her. I don't know what Odine was thinking."

"Probably thinking about power." His eyes trailed over the glass, thinking about the power he'd felt being exuded off Bahamut last night. "Can you....." He shook his head. "No, never mind."

"No, what?" Edea asked quietly, putting her hands to the glass that separated them. "Tell me, please." She then took her hands away, feeling some sort of energy on the surface.

"I guess that answers my question," Seifer muttered. "At least I won't sound crazy."

"What is this I'm feeling?" Edea asked, actually wiping her hands down the front of her navy velvet blouse to get that sensation off her fingers.

"Bahamut was here last night."

"What....?"

"He came in human form," Seifer said quietly.

"Then, how did you know?"

"Can I finish?"

"I'm sorry."

"He traced something on the glass. It looked like a rune. I could barely breathe when he was here, his power was so thick. Even Ultimecia never felt that strong."

"Bahamut would have millions of years to build a power-base. Ultimecia may have been able to jump back in time, but she only had her lifetime to do the same. She was still mortal, after all."

"Can you.... tell what sort of magic it is?"

Edea looked up into Seifer's eyes. "I'll touch it again." She put her hands to the glass, keeping her fingers pressed there even though it felt uncomfortable to be touching the layer of magic. She took her hands away and sighed. "I can't tell. It's too arcane for me. It doesn't seem aggressive, though."

"That's what I thought. I think if Bahamut wanted to kill me, he would have just come through the glass and ripped me apart instead of coming in human form."

"Then.... how were you sure it was him?"

"He.... looked like Thuban. Err, Tiamat. I've seen her in human form, too. She was Bahamut's daughter when they were human. Also, his shadow was the shape of a dragon. And.... I could just tell. By looking in his eyes."

"Can't you just ask Tiamat if she's your Guardian Force?"

"They forced me to disjunction her when I got locked up."

"Right. I'll see what I can find out about arcane runes like this." Edea put her palm flush to the glass and closed her eyes. With some cajoling, the pale violet rune appeared visible. She memorized it, then took her hand away. "They aren't allowing you any other visitors. I only got to see you because they're too afraid to say no to a Sorceress."

"Oh."

"Zell wanted me to tell you hi."

Seifer smiled a little, quite sure that 'hi' wasn't what Zell really wanted to say.

"You two are lucky to have found each other. A little surprising, but that smile says it all." It was Edea's turn to smile, but hers was much sadder than Seifer's.

"What's going to happen to him?"

"Nothing, at least in the eyes of Esthar. Though, with Garden...." She shook her head. "I don't know. Oh!" She then exclaimed. "I have something for you." She put something in the food slot. Seifer went over and saw it was his back-up set of eyeglasses. "I know that they took your contact lenses."

Seifer was taken aback by her thoughtfulness as he slid the glasses on his face. The world came into crisp focus. "I... uh... thank you."

"What's a mother for?" Edea smiled at him. "I should go. They only gave me so much time." She turned to go up the hallway, but stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. "I love you, you know? Cid and I both do. Very much."

Seifer didn't answer, but he didn't look away from her, either. He felt very alone right now. Here he was, locked up in this cell, having just murdered Odine. Zell wasn't allowed to see him, everyone thought he was a deranged killer, and he had ancient magical creatures gunning to end his life. Edea's words actually meant very much to him at that moment, and almost made him forget his anger towards her. Almost, but not quite. The idea of her sleeping around with Laguna, and how she and Cid had lied to him for so long prevented Seifer from saying anything back to her. She gave a small sigh and left. Seifer sat on his cot, looking at the glass. Trying not to think about everything that was crashing down on him, he thought of Edea's predicament instead. He really hoped that she realized that she couldn't hide her affair with Laguna for much longer. Cid may have been a busy man, but he would eventually notice something, if he hadn't already. Though, maybe Cid hadn't noticed. After all, he probably thought he could trust Edea with his life, let alone to not fuck around with other men, especially one who was a friend to them like Laguna.

He tried to put himself in that position, in a position where he cared very deeply about his partner, because Seifer knew that Edea loved Cid with all her heart. She wouldn't have that guilt in her eyes if she didn't. And yet, as much as she cared, she found a reason to look for something in Laguna. What if that had ever happened to Seifer? Was he being too hard on Edea for it? No.... Seifer could never imagine cheating on someone (and, that someone in his head was Zell). If you wanted to fuck someone else, you should just get to the root of the problem, instead of sneaking around. He sighed, running his hands through his blonde again hair. Maybe he should stop thinking about other people's mistakes, and start thinking more about his own. Xu probably had a list of Seifer Almasy's failures that she could rattle off by heart. Seifer could also rattle them all off, so many regrets and things he wished he could do differently. But, it wouldn't do him any good to think about that now.

So, instead he rested. It was what he did most of the time. With nothing to occupy himself, he would often just lay on his cot, for if he was asleep, at least time was passing without him having to look at these barren prison walls. He didn't find it hard to get the sleep, since his body was still catching up from Odine's experiment and his fight with Shiva. He needed the rest, but his sleep was always fitful. He was worried about himself, yes. But, he was more worried about Zell. Zell's problems were of Seifer's making, and maybe 10 years ago he wouldn't have cared if Zell had gone down with the flaming wreckage that was the chaos that always seemed to follow Seifer. But, now he wasn't a stupid, arrogant child anymore. He'd learned humility the hard way, and he didn't want Zell to suffer for what he'd done. Zell who had shown him so much kindness and understanding, even with their less than friendly past.

Seifer knew at least one day passed as he sat and stared at the walls and fitfully slept. Maybe it had been two or three days. Time stretched on, but maybe it was flying by. He was in a complete time vacuum without the sun or moon to gauge from, or without his watch to look at. He almost felt like he was in Time Compression again. At least he wasn't hearing Ultimecia's voice. In fact, he hadn't heard her since Odine's Labs. Was it just coincidence? Or, had Odine actually done something in his experiment to rid Seifer of the ghostly presence of his dead 'mistress'. The monotony of sitting, staring and sleeping wasn't even interrupted by the guards giving him food, because that also became part of the routine. But, it was interrupted by the sound of keys rattling that seemed deafening to Seifer. He got up off the cot, moving his eyes from a dark spot on the wall that he'd been watching for what seemed like eternity. The glass was then slid open, and Seifer watched warily. What was happening?

"Hey there," Laguna greeted, coming into view. "Come on."

"Where?" Seifer asked with suspicion.

Laguna raised his eyebrows, arms crossed over his chest. It wasn't a casual gesture. There was nervousness there. Shyness. He was still embarrassed looking into Seifer's face. Especially when he'd been touching Edea's skin only that morning. Laguna was pretty sure that Seifer could read the same, the guilt, the love for Edea all over his face. He was probably glowing with it. "Are you really in a position to question?"

Seifer frowned, but knew Laguna was right. He silently followed, deciding it was best not to open his big mouth. They ascended to the higher levels of the Presidential Palace, the parts that everyone saw, rising above the parts that nobody did, parts that were a reminder that it wasn't always Laguna Loire who controlled Esthar. They went higher and higher, to the top floor, going towards Laguna's office. There was no speaking between the two men. Seifer didn't want Laguna to say anything. He could have admired the sunshine coming through the clean glass, the first time he'd seen it in days, but he was too nervous. This wasn't just detention for some childish rule-breaking. He knew he was in deep shit. And, he also knew that Zell was in deep shit, but he didn't dare ask Laguna questions.

Laguna ushered Seifer into his office, and Seifer saw that they weren't going to be alone. Kiros and Ward were also there, along with a few other people that Seifer didn't know, though he recognized Odine's assistant.

"Please, sit." Laguna sat behind his desk, smiling sadly at Seifer, who wasn't calmed by the gesture. Seifer folded his hands in his lap, not nervously looking around the room. One thing that being Seifer Almasy had given him was the fact he was used to this sort of thing, being glared down at by many administrative figures. Being a bully and not caring about the rules tended to lead to disciplinary situations often.

"Now...." Laguna trailed off, looking at Seifer. "I'm sure you're very aware of the seriousness of what's happened. Dr. Odine was a fixture in this city, responsible for so much of Esthar's prosperity." Laguna sighed. "But, as you also know, he liked to go off on his own in terms of his research and experiments. Often breaking the rules himself."

Seifer frowned, wondering what the point of this whole speech was.

Laguna then gestured to one of the people in the background, who pulled out a small television set. "I see the confusion on your face, Seifer. In deciding your punishment, we had to look at exactly what happened. Adel had surveillance cameras outfitted in Odine's labs, without his knowledge. She wanted to keep tabs on what he was doing, and it's proved to work out for us, too."

Seifer wanted to interrupt, but held his tongue.

Laguna nodded as the tape started. Seifer had expected to see himself, Rinoa and Edea on the day of Odine's death. But, instead he was watching a tape from before then, for it showed a healthy and alive Odine, working on one of his machines. Seifer wasn't sure if he was supposed to be seeing anything here, but he then saw Odine clasp his hands in some sort of gesture of reverence, and then put something in the machine. The tape was then stopped.

"What am I seeing here?" Seifer asked blankly, finally speaking.

"This is what Odine used on the three of you to purge you of the remnants of Ultimecia's power," Odine's assistant pointed out. "In principle, we use this sort of equipment mostly to purge monster of their magical powers, for uses in farming and experiments and whatnot. However, Dr. Odine thought that it could also be used with humans. It's a practice that has been used in the past. A way of punishing Sorceresses who broke the law. They would have their powers removed. But, you saw Odine put a crystal into the machine."

"Yes....?"

"I'm sure you're aware of the functions of Lunatic Pandora, Mr. Almasy," Kiros butted in, glaring at Seifer. While Kiros wasn't an unfair man, he was a shrewd one. He had to be with such a forgiving President and friend like Laguna. And, quite frankly, he just didn't trust Seifer. His track record was against him. Kiros knew that Xu didn't trust Seifer as far as she could throw him, but her reasons were based on emotions, and they were personal. Kiros didn't want to make his decisions based on that, but he couldn't forget that Seifer was a big part in almost bringing Adel back. And, it was something he didn't know if he could forgive.

"How could I forget?" Seifer asked bitterly, rhetorically.

"It worked by drawing power from a central core crystal. In its case, it drew power from the moon, bringing a Lunar Cry, sucking up power for use, destroying things in its path to do so. Odine based it off the design of his Junction Machine Ellone."

Seifer squared his shoulders, but didn't reply. Kiros's voice was very sharp, and Seifer had to hold back snapping at the other man. Did he really need Kiros to remind him of regrets that he already knew? No.

"Well, since Odine put that crystal into the machine, it created the same sort of principle. He could use this taint of power that Ultimecia had left the three of you with to draw out her powers. Odine was always quite fascinated with her time magic abilities."

"It would have also let him draw out powers from Rinoa and especially Edea. Odine made no secret that he was interested in Edea as an experiment, as a specimen," Laguna interjected harshly.

Seifer frowned, knowing there were more to those words than just dislike for Odine's methods. He also noticed that Kiros gave the President a sharp glance.

"And, with Odine doing this to you three, he was pulling this power out of you. And.... you snapped." Odine's assistant spread his hands out, not thinking of any better words to use.

"Why didn't Edea or Rinoa snap?" Seifer asked.

"Because they had powers to cushion. Each is a Sorceress, and had their own magic to act as a buffer against the remnants of Ultimecia's powers. You have no such abilities, so Odine's experiment affected you far more deeply."

"Yeah, yeah..." Laguna tucked his hair behind his ears. "I bet you're wondering what's going to happen to you."

Seifer just stared at Squall's father.

"Odine using his machine for this reason was enough to arrest and charge him. Trying to steal a Sorceress's powers without just cause, such as criminal charges against said Sorceress. It is cause for a death penalty."

"But, there is still the fact that you took the law into your own hands," Kiros said. "However, we watched the tapes of the day of the experiment, and some disturbing information came to focus." Kiros pressed play for the security tape, and Seifer watched the familiar scene that had been haunting his dreams. He also saw that Rinoa and Edea were talking to themselves, like Seifer had been. Talking to Ultimecia's voice in their head. It frightened him that he'd still been able to hear her. Not just because of her voice, but because she'd really been _that_ strong. Seifer was about to look away, not wanting to see himself kill Odine, but he looked back when he heard something. He wasn't sure if it was on the tape, or what it even was.

"Your reaction is the same as mine when I watched the tape," Kiros murmured. "You hear something, don't you?"

"Just barely," Seifer whispered, straining his ears. He then jerked and looked away when he watched himself vault out of his seat and start to rip Odine apart with his bare hands. The blood was just so red, and it was everywhere. He was screaming, shouting at Ultimecia's voice in his head, and Odine was screaming in agony as he was torn apart like a Mesmerize in the jaws of a Behemoth. Seifer was shaking, hating seeing himself be that vicious, but he heard that Kiros was still talking.

"We took audio off the tape and enhanced it." Kiros took a pocket recorder out of his ceremonial robes, and pressed play. Laguna was still the only one who shirked wearing the Esthar robes that someone in his position would have normally always been seen in. Seifer could hear his own voice, as well as Rinoa's and Edea's, whispering to the ghostly echoes of Ultimecia in their heads. Then, Seifer heard it. That voice he'd heard on the actual video. It was a gentle whisper, but one that he was keenly familiar with. _As long as he's alive, he'll seek my powers. Just like he bent over backwards for Adel's powers._

"Now, as an eyewitness, whose voice is this?"

"Hers," Seifer whispered. "Hers...."

"Who?" Kiros asked quietly.

"Ultimecia." Those were the exact words that Seifer had heard in his mind when it had been going on.

Kiros nodded. "We played the audio for both Edea and Rinoa, and they concurred that it was indeed Ultimecia's voice. You're a lucky man, Mr. Almasy. You've fallen through a legal loophole."

Seifer looked up, his heart still beating quickly from hearing Ultimecia's ghostly voice. "What...?"

"Just as there are laws to protect Sorceresses from others stealing their powers, there are laws protecting people who do things under the influence of a Sorceress's powers. During Adel's reign, there were many people who were forced to do awful things because they were under Adel's control, or they were being blackmailed with some sort of magical punishment." Kiros then gave a small, sad smile. He couldn't think as ill of Seifer after seeing the terror in his eyes at hearing Ultimecia's voice. Though, he still wasn't all that forgiving. "Odine's experiment would have killed you if it hadn't been stopped." Kiros handed Seifer a thick volume. "This is Vhazl's report on the properties of Odine's experiments." Kiros nodded to Odine's former assistant, who was now in control of Odine's labs. "Vhazl's report, along with the testimonies of Edea Kramer and Rinoa Heartilly-Leonhart, and the evidence of the security audio and visual tapes, we find that you were under the influence of Sorceress Ultimecia's power, or what's left of it, which was assisted by the illegal actions of Dr. Nirrhal Odine. Your punishment consists of time served, as well as to be under surveillance from Dr. Vhazl, now head of Esthar's Sorcery Labs, for a period of six months."

"I....." Seifer shook his head. "I'm free?"

"You've been punished enough," Laguna whispered. "I don't think many people could survive the mental torture that Ultimecia has put you through."

Seifer just sat dumbfounded as the room started to filter out. Laguna stayed behind his desk while Kiros whispered something in his ear. Kiros then nodded to Seifer, but it was very stiffly done.

"Do I have to stay in Esthar for the whole six months?"

"No," Laguna said, his voice holding more ease than it had earlier. "You and Vhazl will just set up appointments where he can check on you. Don't worry, Vhazl's a good man. He gets Edea's seal of approval as an ethical scientist."

Seifer just shrugged, looking through the file about the machine that Odine had used on him and the two Sorceresses.

"Edea was really worried about you. Cid, too."

Seifer looked up. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and fixed Laguna with a stare. "I guess you would know her feelings, wouldn't you?"

Laguna pursed his lips. "It's not like we intended for this to happen."

"Why don't you just tell the truth?" Seifer asked wearily. "And, stop sneaking around."

"The truth may be the right thing, but it's sometimes the hardest."

"I... I may have ill feelings towards Cid right now, but I still think he deserves better."

"I know," Laguna said. "He's a good man." He gave a long sigh. "Edea wanted to speak with you. She's been waiting in my library for hours."

"I don't feel like talking to her right now," Seifer muttered, flipping through the report. "I want to sleep in a real bed, have a real shower, and eat a real meal. I also want to find Zell."

"Zell's in Balamb," Laguna answered.

"Huh?"

"That's why Edea wanted to talk to you."

Seifer saw the frown creasing Laguna's brow, and quickly went to the door in the back corner of Laguna's rather cavernous office. Edea was sitting in a comfortable leather chair, but when she heard the door open, she bolted out of her seat. Her long hair was loose, looking like a silk curtain of night. Even in such a situation, Laguna was looking at what a beautiful woman she was in her black cashmere turtleneck and knee-length skirt of tan leather and high black leather boots. Her face was free of makeup, and her eyes lit up when she saw Seifer.

"Oh, thank Hyne!" She exclaimed, coming across the room and embracing Seifer, who was stiff against her and didn't return the hug. "They weren't allowed to tell me their decision, even though I knew that Odine caused it himself. Did they play the tape for you?"

"Yes," Seifer answered blankly. "The one where I murdered a defenceless man with my own hands."

"Oh...." Edea stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "It wasn't your fault." She then looked into Seifer's eyes, and took a step back. He hadn't thawed to her yet.

"Where's Zell?" Seifer asked, getting to the point.

"Balamb. The Garden Tribunal is holding a hearing for him...." She looked at her silver wristwatch. It had been a gift from Cid on their last anniversary. "In about 12 hours Balamb Time."

"Tribunal?" Seifer echoed, his insides clenching. "For _what_?"

"For letting you escape. Even though you've been cleared, at the time that wasn't the case. It is one of Garden's sanctions that they go along with the rules of whatever country they are in, as you well know. I don't have to tell you Garden's rules. There are also a couple of other minor infractions, like including a civilian in mission briefings. Which means you during the Timber mission that Selphie, Irvine and Zell went on. There is also the fact...." She trailed off. "An infraction about his relationship with you, which falls under the promiscuity legislation that was started when NORG and his faculty took hold of the rule book."

Seifer frowned deeply. "Loopholes," he muttered. He'd just been saved by some loopholes, but Zell was about to be punished because of some. "They're completely ridiculous."

Edea sighed. "Well, it will be going in front of the Tribunal."

"Cid must see that this is stupid."

"For all of Cid's virtues, he's always wanted Garden as a true democracy, which means this is out of his hands. He of course has a vote on the Tribunal, but so do many others."

"Including Xu." Seifer muttered "that bitch," under his breath.

"Xu's done a lot for Garden," Edea pointed out, her voice a little chastising, which Seifer found amusing. "She has to follow the rules."

"She's doing this to punish me through Zell, which isn't what I'd call 'doing a lot'." He tossed Vhazl's report onto one of the end tables. "So, am I really free to go?" He asked.

"Yes," Laguna said. "After Vhazl checks you out, of course."

"Well, then I'm going to Balamb. At least you'll know where to find me." He left the library, stalking out of Laguna's office and down the hall.

"Wait!" Edea called, running after his much longer strides. "I stayed behind so I could be the one to tell you, and so I could bring you to Balamb myself." She put a hand on Seifer's elbow, stopping him. "And, to tell you not to do anything rash. Don't get involved."

"You think I would?"

"I know you."

Seifer bit his lower lip. "Can't I just go to support him? As a friend, as someone in his corner?"

"As a lover?" Edea asked.

"That, too." He looked into her golden brown eyes. "I don't care who frowns down on it. I only care that Zell knows I'm there for him."

Edea wondered if there was a little bit of accusation there, daring her to protest his relationship with Zell. "I may have been... _surprised_ about you and Zell, but it's plain that you love each other, that you're happy. And, that makes me happy."

"Who said anything about love?" Seifer snapped, heading down the hall to his room.

"Your eyes did," Edea whispered. But, Seifer hadn't heard her.

He needed to get out of this prisoner's jumpsuit and shower before heading out to Balamb. Seifer's blood was boiling, thinking about how Xu was thinking of this. Zell was her bait. Oh, she'd love for Seifer to do something foolish so she could shoot him on sight. But, he wouldn't. He wouldn't ruin anything else for Zell. He would go to Balamb as moral support only. But, Xu was only one person. There were 9 seats on the Tribunal, which also included Quistis, Cid and Squall, as well as other Instructors and Administrators. Quistis and Cid would be fair, and even though Squall was a bit of a jerk, he would be too. He couldn't believe that they would hold a Tribunal over this. Zell wasn't even on Garden duty when it happened. His elation about being cleared was now complete worry. People who thought they knew Seifer Almasy, people like Xu, would have thought Seifer incapable of this kind of worry on behalf of another person. But, these were the same people who hadn't changed over the past 10 years, and who would never change. People like Squall, people like Xu. In fact, most people probably thought that Seifer wouldn't care that Zell was in trouble because of him, just as long as things worked out for himself. But, that was so far from the truth. Zell had risked jail and even expulsion from Garden for Seifer. It all worked out in the end, but the guards probably would have shot Seifer on sight if he'd stayed after killing Odine.

He didn't worry about his other belongings, because he knew they could be shipped, or he could come back and get them. He was more concerned about getting to Balamb as soon as possible. Nothing else mattered to him.

"Maybe you shouldn't go," Edea's voice suggested quietly from the doorway. She had her hands nervously in her pockets. Seifer looked up from unbuttoning the prison jumpsuit. "It might not help Zell's case."

Seifer put his hands on his hips. "When have I ever listened to reason?"

Edea didn't reply.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd rather be having a shower than talking to you."

Edea jerked a little, and sadly pursed her lips, but granted Seifer's wishes. She closed the door softly, which seems like so much more than an everyday gesture. It seemed so much like setting up a wall between them, one that was too thick to break down. There were moments where Edea thought that Seifer's anger towards her was lessening, and those moments were always overshadowed by his coolness towards her. She'd seen it in his eyes when the subject of Zell came up. She'd seen the dare in her to say anything about their relationship, knowing that he would spew out words to slap her across the face with her hypocrisy. And, the source of her hypocrisy was suddenly in front of her. But, that wasn't totally true. She'd made her way towards Laguna's office out of instinct.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Did you talk to Seifer?" Edea had voiced her opinion to Laguna about Seifer going to Balamb, and he'd suggested talking to Seifer about it.

"Tried to," she murmured glumly, arms folded tightly around her. "He doesn't want to hear anything I have to say. He's so very stubborn."

"Gee, I wonder where he gets that from?" Laguna asked, laughter behind his voice.

Edea just gave him a withering look, shaking her head. Her golden brown eyes were full of heartache and conflict. "I have no right to tell him what to do where his love life is concerned."

"You're not telling him what to do. You're just looking out for his best interest. Zell's, too."

"I wish he could.... tell me he's happy. I can see that he is, but I wish that things were different. I wish that I could be proud of him like any normal mother, and he could tell me all about the things in his life like a normal child." She sighed deeply, leaning against the wall near the doors to Laguna's office. "I wish Ultimecia had never come, that Adel...."

"Stop it," Laguna hissed, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Stop it with the regrets! It happened. Ultimecia happened, Adel happened. You made choices, now you have to make new ones to deal with the choices that you made. You messed up your bed, now you have to make it."

"I think you got that wrong."

"Who cares? The point's still the same. You did what you thought was right at the time. No use wishing things could be different, because it just won't happen." Laguna leaned forward after looking down the hall to make sure they were alone, and placed a lingering kiss on Edea's smooth forehead.

"I remember when Seifer was a little boy... how he used to look at me. There was adoration in his eyes. There was _respect_." She sighed deeply as Laguna collected her in a welcome, warm and so very wrong/right hug. "I wish I could see that in his eyes again. It just isn't there. He doesn't adore me, and he definitely doesn't respect me."

"He just needs time."

Edea looked up at Laguna and flattened her hands on his chest. He smiled down at her with that charming way of his and planted a kiss on her mouth. It was a kiss she welcomed, that made her knees quiver. But, the hands that were on Laguna's chest pushed, pushed until Laguna stumbled backwards, looking at her with longing and confusion. He shook his head at her in question.

"I need to think about my son right now. I need him to see me as his mother, not as an avatar for Ultimecia. I need him to respect me again. I need to think about Seifer. And, about his father."

Laguna felt stung by her words. "Edea...."

"You know this is right. Don't tell me you didn't see it coming." When Laguna tried to come close to her again, she put her hands out to stop him dead in his tracks. It wasn't magic that made his motion stop. It was the look in her eyes. The seriousness, the resolve.

"But, I love you."

"Don't say that to me!" She shouted. Her voice lowered. "_Please_, Laguna. I have a husband. I have a son with him that I want to rebuild a relationship with. Which means ending ours."

Laguna opened his mouth to protest, but Edea was already walking down the hallway, away from him, and away from something that Laguna knew was real love.

Rinoa's eyes searched their flower field for him, but again Squall wasn't there. She'd been dreaming a lot of their field in the last few days, sleeping more and more because of Odine's experiment. It sickened Rinoa that Odine had been actually plotting to get Ultimecia's power out of them. Again, she saw the priest there. He would whisper things to her, but she would never remember them when she woke up. But, the words, whatever they were, always left a wriggling feeling in her belly. The baby that she still hadn't told Squall about. He wasn't in much mood for conversation, even though she kept trying to bring the subject up. She woke up after the priest again whispered something in her ear. They were in their familiar apartment in Balamb Town, the salty breeze coming in through the open window. It ruffled the sheer drapes, and left Rinoa's skin comfortably cool. Squall was laying beside her, but he was awake. She knew that it wasn't any movement on her part that had stirred him from sleep. He'd probably been awake all night. Since coming from Esthar, she'd practically been able to hear the cogs in his head working. Squall may not have been forthcoming with his emotions, but it was _never_ a secret when he was in deep thought. The entire world could read it on his face.

"Squall?" She whispered, her head resting on his shoulder, hair fanned out across his chest. "Can we talk?"

"Kinda late," he muttered.

"We have to..."

"If it's about Zell, don't bother," he replied shortly. "That's Garden stuff."

"It's about us."

She felt his muscles stiffen a little. She craned her neck so she could look up at his pretty face. He seemed a little confused, as he always did when she wanted to talk about _them._

"It's nothing bad," she assured, patting him on the stomach. "It's actually.... very good."

He looked at her expectantly.

"When the doctor checked me over after Odine's experiment, he told me....." She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm pregnant."

Well, Squall's reaction wasn't what Rinoa was hoping for. But, it was one that she'd been expecting, down in the pit of her stomach. His blank look of expectation and patience clouded into one of disbelief, then one of dark surprise and hesitation. His final expression was pretty unreadable, but not one of joy.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant," Rinoa repeated, but it was with less conviction than before.

"Pregnant?"

"Yes, pregnant."

Squall was silent for a _painful _amount of time. He then sat up quickly enough that Rinoa's head was jarred off his shoulder. He stood up, and started pacing beside the bed.

"Squall....?"

"What have you decided?"

"Decided?"

"Are you going to keep it?"

She shook her head at him. "Squall.... of course I am!"

The fact that he didn't look entirely pleased about the fact that she wanted to carry her husband's baby made Rinoa's heart plummet. She'd thought of this sort of moment over and over again throughout her life. She'd fantasized about it, how happy she'd be after she found out she was pregnant. Especially with the child of a man she'd loved. She'd once thought that about Seifer when she'd been so infatuated with him that one summer. But, Squall was the man she was _supposed _to have a baby with. He was her perfect mate. He was the man she loved more than anything, so it hurt her that this moment wasn't going according to fantasy.

"Squall....?" Rinoa asked a little desperately, tears starting to sting her eyes. "Don't you want to have a baby with me?"

He just stared dumbly at her, then picked up a discarded shirt from the floor, pulling it over his head.

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

"Squall!" She called after him as he left their bedroom. "Squall?!" She cried again, more sharply. Angrier. She sighed when the door slammed and she was left all alone. Flopping down on the bed, Rinoa put her hands on her belly. Why did Squall object to children so much? She closed her eyes. "Don't worry Baby, he'll come around." She started to drift back off into an angry sleep, and though she didn't see the flower field this time, she could still smell it, somewhere off in the distance...

It was morning, but Zell had gotten _zero _sleep. It might as well have still been the middle of the night. A memo had been slipped under his office door sometime in the night, saying that Seifer had been cleared of all charges. That had certainly made Zell's heart feel lighter, but now it was heavy again with worry for himself. The room he was pacing felt less like an office and more like a prison. He wasn't required to stay in his office, but Zell would rather be here, where he could be alone. He currently felt very alienated in Garden, a place that had felt like his home for so many years. He supposed that everyone had heard what he'd done in Esthar. Seifer Almasy was still a name that caused a lot of emotions to rise in Garden students, faculty and administration. Also, he was quite positive that everyone and their dogs had seen the cover of the tabloid where he and Seifer were kissing. Hell, probably even the monsters in the Training Area had seen it and were whispering behind Zell's back. The thought of T-Rexaurs gossiping about a male-on-male kiss did make Zell smile just a little. Definitely the closest thing to a smile he'd shown since Seifer had been arrested, and since he himself had come under fire.

What made the whole thing even worse for Zell was knowing that his mother was going to be there. Well, not in the actual Tribunal, but she'd be waiting in the visitor's area for him. That made him feel so low, like a failure. Like... he was letting her down. Like he was letting his grandfather down, too. He ran his hands through his hair. They were shaking so badly. He had to control that. He didn't want to go into that Tribunal with shaking hands. He wanted to be strong, collected and like stone. He sat behind his desk, pushing down the urge to check his watch yet again. He opened one of the drawers in his desk, seeing the Timber Inquisitor. It was one of the reasons that he was in this current situation, but he'd still snuck a copy of it. It was such a piece of shit rag magazine, but he couldn't help but smile when he looked at the cover. It was the only picture of Seifer that Zell actually possessed, and the image of them kissing reminded him that he was doing the right thing. This wasn't just about Seifer, or even about Garden. It was about himself. Zell was a grown man. He had to stop sneaking around and lying like some scared little boy. He wasn't that screaming, crying baby anymore. He had to step up and do what was right for him. But... he didn't know how to do anything except be SeeD.

Zell gasped when there was a knock on the door. "Zell, it's me...." Quistis's voice called from the other side of the door. "You ready?" She opened the door and gave him a business-like smile. But, it was soft around the edges with friendship. She held one of the nine seats that would be deciding his fate, along with Squall, Xu, Cid, Nida, Instructor Cochrane, a healing magic instructor who had been at Garden for decades, Major Dheneb, one of the first members of SeeD, and now head of the Admissions Board, Instructor Morrisey who taught modern languages, and who had been the first teacher hired at Garden, and Dr. Phia Wong, who had replaced NORG as main Garden benefactor. Zell knew that at least two of the votes would go against him instantly. Zell and Instructor Cochrane had never gotten along, going back to Zell's days as a Junior Cadet. He was a curmudgeony old bastard, and he was also rather vocal about hating gays, for when it had been an issue for gay rights in Balamb Town about 10 or 15 years ago. He'd also hated Seifer with a passion, because there had been this incident where Seifer had made him look like a fool during one lesson, where he'd proved one of his lessons to be false. Zell couldn't even remember the details, but Cochrane throwing Seifer out of class forever was legend in the school. And, like all curmudgeony old bastards, Cochrane had a _very_ long memory. And unfortunately, Zell knew that Xu's vote would go against him.

Zell had no idea about what had happened on Xu's first mission. He only knew what everyone outside of Xu, Seifer and Quistis knew. He only knew that Xu and Seifer despised each other for some mystery reason. Would Seifer tell him if he asked? But, Zell was confident in votes in his favour from Quistis, Cid, Nida and Squall.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Zell muttered, putting the magazine away. He didn't try to hide from Quistis that he was reading it.

Quistis patted him on the shoulder, and then brought him in for a quick hug. On one hand, it surprised Zell, because Quistis wasn't a huggy sort of person. But, on the other hand, he wasn't surprised at all. Quistis and he had always been close friends, and he was glad to have that feeling right now. He knew that's why Quistis had hugged him. She knew he needed that feeling right now, especially because Xu now seemed to be an enemy, and Squall had severely disappointed Zell.

"Don't worry," Quistis whispered. "Things will go well."

"Are you tipping your hand to me?" Zell asked teasingly, but his voice was hollow.

"You _know_ how I feel about those loophole rules, Zell. It's no secret. One's personal feelings have nothing to do with Garden missions or the day-to-day running. And, I don't believe in punishing people for being happy."

"What about helping a criminal?"

Quistis shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe that could have been handled better, but you weren't disobeying Garden rules. This is out of their court." She shook her head angrily. "Xu's my dearest friend, but I don't agree with her flexing her administrative muscles like this."

"I'm more worried for Ma than I am for me," Zell admitted.

"She's in the visitor's center already. So are Selphie, Irvine and Matron. They're all on your side." She nudged his shoulder with her own as they walked. "And Seifer."

"Oh...." Zell trailed off. He felt warm, but wary.

"What are you thinking?"

"You know Seifer as well as I do...."

"Maybe not _quite_ as well," she teased, putting a finger to her chin as they rode the elevator up. "But, yes. You're worried that Seifer might.... lose his restraint. Garden doesn't bring out the best in his temper, does it?"

"No, it does not."

"He won't," she said.

"How do you know."

"I can see it in his eyes. He'll behave. He just wants to be here for you."

They said no more to each other as they rode up to the top floor of Garden, where all the board rooms were, as well as the offices of people like Quistis, Squall and Headmaster Cid.

Ma Dincht, Selphie, Irvine, Edea and Seifer were also on the top floor. There was a reception room for civilians beside the board room that was actually a court room. Seifer had been waiting nervously for things to start. Even though he'd grown and matured, patience would never be one of his virtues. He saw Edea rise from her seat when Cid came into the room. He went over to his wife and gave her a kiss on the cheek, whispering something to her that Seifer couldn't hear. He then quietly left, giving a squeeze to Ma Dincht's shoulder on the way. Seifer watched as the door closed behind Cid, and then quietly followed him out into the hallway.

"This is total bullshit and you know it," Seifer said quietly. Cid turned around, jumping a little because the sound of Seifer's voice surprised him.

"Oh.... Seifer, you startled me."

"Why are you letting this happen to him?" Seifer asked, crossing his arms and looking down at Cid angrily.

"It's out of my hands. But, I'm sure the vote will go in Zell's favour."

"That's not the point." Seifer's expression became tortured. "Isn't there anything you can do..... Please?" Asking Cid for any sort of assistance was a very hard thing for Seifer to do, considering all the bad blood that had been between them, even before Seifer had found out the truth about Cid and Edea being his parents.

"I wish I could...." Cid whispered. "I really do. Not just for Zell, but for you, too."

"I don't want any favours from you," Seifer replied, uncomfortable. He looked up when the elevator dinged. Quistis came out, followed by a pale and drawn looking Zell. Seifer could tell that the other man hadn't gotten any sleep, and though his expression was blank, Seifer could see the worry. He refrained from going over to Zell, and just gave him a slow nod of encouragement.

Zell saw that Seifer was going to keep his distance, to keep things professional while they were here. Instead, it was Zell himself that went over, gently touching Seifer's bicep. It was a touch that said more than a hug or even a kiss could have. "Are you okay?"

Seifer snorted. "What a time to be asking me that, Dincht." He patted the top of Zell's head, his voice shaking a little. "No worries, right?"

"None....."

"That's what I like to hear." Seifer gave the smallest of smiles as Zell stepped back and went with Quistis into the board room, followed by Cid. When the doors were closed, it was with a seemingly deafening noise. Seifer sighed and went back into the visitors' reception room. It felt as much like a jail cell as the one he'd just been freed from. Irvine was sitting in a chair, his hat pulled casually down to hide his eyes, though his fingers were stroking the brim a little more than they normally would have. Selphie was slowly pacing, toeing the carpet and winding the chain of her necklace through her fingers.

"I wish they would have let him have a liaison," Selphie muttered. "I hate when people have these Tribunals and are always on their own in there. It's not fair not to have legal representation."

"Would it really matter?" Seifer asked bitterly. "What they're doing is hardly due process, or even fair in the eyes of justice. This is some fucking high-school game to Xu. She wants to get back at me so badly. She loves to try and publicly humiliate me, and I guess she finally found my weakness." Seifer pursed his lips and looked over at Zell's mother, who was sitting in a chair with her hands folded in her lap. He'd avoided eye contact with her because he felt shamed in her presence. Not only because he was kind of embarrassed that he was the man that was fucking her son, but also because Zell was in trouble because of him.

"Is it about that field exam?" Selphie asked.

Seifer looked up sharply. "You know what happened?"

"No.... It's just... well, the reason that you and Xu hate each other so much has always been a hot topic of Garden gossip."

"It doesn't matter," Seifer replied with a quick roll of his eyes. He leaned against the wall with crossed arms, showing with his body language that the discussion was over. Seifer got lost in his head, staring off into a point on the wall.

"You know that Zell wouldn't have helped you if he didn't want to."

Seifer continued to stare at the wall, though knew it was Ma Dincht that was speaking to him. "I can still feel guilty about it."

"Yes, I suppose you could. Zell's wanted to be SeeD for as long as he knew what it was. He wanted to make his grandfather so proud of him."

"And, was he?"

"Yes," Ma Dincht answered with a slow nod. "But, I believe Zell is still trying to please him."

"I'm sure that being thrown out of SeeD won't do him proud."

"Zell's grandfather is long dead. And... he won't be thrown out. How can he be thrown out when he did nothing wrong?"

"In Garden's eyes he did." Seifer finally looked over at Zell's mother, who was watching him very steadily.

"Sometimes you have to make choices that come from different places. Zell made his choice to join SeeD from a very different place than the choice to help you escape." After a long pause, she stuck out her hand. "Saffron Dincht. It's nice to meet you."

Seifer slowly took her hand and shook it. "Seifer Almasy."

Edea watched Seifer and Saffron's exchange from across the room. The whole thing left a sour taste in her mouth. Jealousy. It brought back an emotion from almost thirty years ago that Edea had tried not to show she felt. She'd always harboured secret ill-will to the people who'd come to adopt her children. They were always very nice people, and the children deserved happy homes, but Edea loved all the children at her Orphanage as if they were her own children, like she loved Seifer. Mrs. Dincht was a wonderful woman, and a wonderful mother to Zell, but Edea had missed Zell terribly when he'd been gone. And, now.... Saffron was speaking to Seifer with an ease that Edea couldn't now find no matter how hard she tried. It's not like Seifer and Saffron Dincht looked like the best of friends, but they were talking quietly, more than Edea'd done with her own son in the last ten years, even longer. It's not like they were casually chatting while both being controlled by Ultimecia. The whole thing left a bitter taste in her mouth, and made her feel very alone. Especially now that she'd told Laguna they couldn't be together anymore.

So, they all stood or sat in tense silence, or quietly speaking to each other in subdued tones, waiting for the result of Zell's hearing.

Zell sat, trying not to fidget. This required him tightly lacing his fingers together, until he could feel the delicate skin between his fingers bruising. It hurt, but he didn't care. He needed that pain to keep him occupied. A Tribunal basically consisted of Zell sitting at a very solitary table facing a half-circle of the nine members who would decree if he got a punishment or not. They all looked down at him with blank expressions. The infractions were being read by Cid, who sat in the center as Headmaster. Major Dheneb sat on one side of him, and Dr. Phia Wong on the other. Xu was in the seat on the far left, which meant that she'd open the vote. The words that were coming from Cid's mouth were just a drone to Zell. He didn't care about all the small, stupid particulars.

"Captain Zell Dincht, you are hereby placed before Tribunal session number 016546AF35-75, moderated by Headmaster Cid Kramer," Cid droned on, reading all the formalities. "For the record, please state your Garden Identification number."

"41202," Zell mechanically answered. "Instructor number 52."

"Now, the Tribunal has brought you hear to discuss infractions on Garden Article number E-5842; the aiding of a wanted individual in a criminal investigation in the country of Esthar: Garden Article number G-4322415; the refusal to comply with the laws and sanctions of the nation the officer was in during the time of the infraction: Garden Article number C-14004; the allowance of a civilian to be privy to knowledge of a classified nature during a mission delivered by Garden - Balamb: and Garden Article number P-015515; conduct of a personal nature outside of the lines laid out by the Garden code of ethics and social behaviour, namely the admission to a sexual relationship with a member of the same gender."

Zell's mouth tightened at the sheer utterance of that last rule. It sickened him that Garden was trying to police what a 27 year old man did in his free time, with a consenting adult.

"Do you, Captain Dincht - number 41202, acknowledge that you have heard the list of infractions, and understand?"

"I acknowledge so," Zell answered, staring up at the Tribunal.

"Each Tribunal member will put in a single vote, based on their decision of the combined charges. The lights on their lecterns will show their vote. The white on the left means a vote to dismiss charges, the red on the right means a vote to charge. Do you acknowledge that you understand this, Captain Dincht?"

"I acknowledge that I understand," Zell echoed.

"Good. Now, each Tribunal member has the case file before them, and has acknowledged prior that they have read and understand the terms. Shall we begin?" Cid looked down at Zell, and was the only one who showed emotion thus far. He gave Zell a small smile which the blonde couldn't return. His face was frozen in an emotionless mask. He looked over to the lectern at the far left, where Xu sat. No surprise to Zell that her light went red. Her face was unreadable, but she had a smug air about her. He hated Xu so fucking much at that moment. What a whore she was. How _dare _she use Zell as a pawn to get back at Seifer? Zell was fuming inside that he was surprised he didn't upend the table in a fit of rage.

Zell looked to the lectern beside her. It was Nida, whose left light came on. The white light to dismiss. Zell felt a little relieved seeing at least one white light. Instructor Morrisey went next, and the white light also came on. Zell was immediately feeling better. The only other hurdle would be Instructor Cochrane, but only two red lights didn't matter, since it was a majority vote. Then Major Dheneb and Cid and Dr. Wong went. Dheneb's and Cid's lights went white, but Wong's light went red. It worried Zell a little that the benefactor would give him a red light. With Cochrane's upcoming vote, that would mean 3 red lights. He had 4 white lights already, and Squall and Quistis were the other two votes. He was totally in the clear. Zell gave a small sigh of relief when Squall's turn to vote came. There was a period of motionlessness, and then Squall hit the button on his lectern.

Zell had to blink a couple of times, because he thought he was seeing things. A _red_ light on Squall's lectern. Quistis's blank expression slid off, and she looked at the red light before Squall with confusion. Cid also seemed perplexed, but Squall just kept staring straight ahead, with that red light on before him. Zell stared at the red, until it burned his eyes, until it was like he was staring in the sun. _Red_?? RED? Squall had voted _against_ him? It was now Quistis's turn to vote, but Zell didn't give her a chance. He felt his body rising, he felt himself standing up. He was only partially aware of the action, but he was _fully_ aware of the anger that was running through him. He was positively on fire with it.

"Captain Dincht, please take your seat," Cid commanded quietly. It was highly improper during a Tribunal for the one in question to stand up or interrupt the proceedings in any way.

"You know what?" Zell asked, his voice actually very calm for the amount of rage he was feeling. He stared into Squall's face, who met his gaze with that fucking blank expression of his. Zell pulled his SeeD and Garden IDs out of his pockets. "Forget it. Just forget it."

"Forget it?" Major Dheneb echoed. "What are you referring to?"

"This whole trumped-up Tribunal. I'm not going to stand here and be looked down upon for things that have nothing to do with my performance as a mercenary for this organization, which have nothing to do with my teaching abilities." He then started right at Xu. "I won't let you use me as some piece in your little game to punish someone for something completely childish and stupid."

Xu looked affronted at the insinuation that she was being childish. "Captain Dincht, if you do not restrain yourself, there will be another charge added to the list."

He laughed so bitterly that Cid's eyebrows shot up over the rims of his spectacles. "Add the fucking charge, Xu. You want to anyway. This Tribunal is your little baby, anyway."

"Captain Dincht, I know you're upset..." Cid said soothingly, raising his hands. "But, I cannot allow you to speak to a commanding officer like that."

Zell was just shaking his head, his lips baring his teeth in a sneer. He heard Cid's voice, and he heard Xu's mutterings, but he only had eyes for Squall, who was still staring at him as if Zell wasn't his best friend, as if Zell was nothing to him. Zell then threw his IDs, hitting Squall square in the face with a loud slap. Squall blinked and looked shocked.

"Well, you know what Cid? I fucking _quit_, so I can talk to her however I want. I gave _everything_ to Garden, and this is how you treat me?! Fuck you all!" Zell then did what he was surprised he hadn't done already, and flipped the table over. It landed against the lectern podiums with a crash, cracking down the center, breaking in two. Zell then swung the doors open with a clap as loud as Quetzacoatl's thunder, and stormed down the hall.

Everyone in the Tribunal was a little shocked at Zell's outburst, but what shocked Nida, Cid and Quistis most was Squall's vote against Zell. Xu went over to Squall as the Tribunal members started talking quickly amongst themselves. Squall was holding Zell's IDs. "You did the right thing, Squall." Xu patted him on the shoulder. "Garden need to uphold an image to the public."

Quistis just shook her head at them and went out into the hallway. Maybe she could talk Zell out of it.

The people in the reception room heard the shouting and the bangs of the table and doors. Seifer came out first, surprised at how much rage he was seeing on Zell's face. The last time he'd seen rage like that, he'd been on the receiving end of one of Zell's really nasty right hooks.

"Get me out of here," Zell said in a shaky voice to Seifer, grabbing his wrist tight enough that Seifer actually winced.

"What....? What happened?"

"Zell, dear....?" Ma Dincht began to ask, but Zell waved her away. He didn't want to look at his mother right now. He didn't want to look at Selphie or Matron's concerned faces, or hear his mothers doting voice. He just wanted Seifer to take him away from Garden. Hyne, how could Squall have done this to him??

"Zell, wait!" Quistis called as Zell was dragging Seifer towards the elevator. Zell would have actually gone off on his own, but he wanted someone to drive, because he knew he was in no frame of mind to do so himself. "Zell!" She called again.

"Zell, if you walk out of Garden, you will not be allowed to come back." Xu's voice called.

Her voice was what stopped Zell dead in his tracks. So, had the vote gone against Zell? This surprised Seifer greatly. He could feel Zell's fingers shaking around his wrist.

"Zell, don't leave like this," Quistis murmured quietly.

Zell glared at Xu, not even regarding Quistis. "I bet you're tickled pink, aren't you?"

"I did what was in Garden's best interest," she said. She wasn't looking at Zell, but at Seifer instead.

"What, punishing me because I fell in love?" Zell asked.

"Because you disobeyed the laws of this school and the laws of your position as a mercenary who works for us."

"You're such a heartless cunt," Zell hissed.

Xu was now the one sneering. "And, look who you're fraternizing with." She shook her head at Seifer. "A man incapable of human compassion or love."

"You don't know anything about the word," Zell said lowly. His voice was actually quite frightening at that moment. "Maybe because you've never felt it. Maybe because nobody's ever felt it for you. You're sad and alone, Xu. And, you only have your bureaucracy to keep you warm at night. Now, kindly get out of my face before I punch your lights out."

Xu actually took a step back, because there was no idleness in Zell's voice. He _meant_ it, and she knew it.

"Zell," Squall said quietly, coming out into the hallway.

"Don't you dare speak to me." Zell walked over to the elevator, dragging Seifer in his wake, who was looking at everyone with a look of confusion on his handsome face.

"Rules are rules, Zell. I did what I thought was right."

Zell stopped, Squall's words washing over him. But, he kept walking into the elevator, the doors closing. As they descended to the ground floor, Zell's entire body was shaking with all his pent-up anger. When they reached the ground floor, Zell stalked down the halls. He looked angry and imposing enough that everyone gave him a wide berth, including Seifer. They got to the parking garage, and Zell got into his car, but tossed his keys to Seifer. "Drive."

"Where?" Seifer asked, unsure. He slid into the driver's seat, adjusting it because his legs were much longer than Zell's.

"Anywhere but here."

Seifer silently took the order, driving down Balamb highway. They only got about halfway to Balamb Town when Seifer pulled over. "What happened?" He asked, looking over at Zell, who was still fuming. "Did they all vote against you?"

"I would have been cleared of charges if I'd stayed."

"Wh... what do you mean?"

"Squall voted against me," Zell answered quietly.

"What?!"

"Squall voted against me."

"But..... he couldn't have."

"RED LIGHT!" Zell shouted, loud enough that Seifer jerked. "The red light came on in front of him. He voted against me. My own best friend. He fucking VOTED AGAINST ME!" Zell let out a low scream of anger and wound up punching out the passenger side window. Shattered glass rained down on him, and he moved to punch something else, but Seifer had caught his fists. Zell struggled against Seifer. He wanted to destroy this whole car. He wanted to rage and to war. Seifer was suddenly very glad of his own physical strength, because it was taking all of it to restrain Zell's anger. He wondered if Zell would accidentally hit Seifer himself in his fit. He wouldn't take it personally, but it would probably knock him unconscious.

"Stop, stop...." Seifer commanded. "Wrecking the car isn't going to help anything. I mean, if the vote went in your favour...."

"I quit!" Zell hissed. "Fuck them, and fuck their stupid Tribunals. Fuck Xu, and FUCK HIM. I would rather be _dead _than be there."

"Zell...."

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW!" Zell screamed in the other man's face.

"Fine," Seifer said coolly, releasing Zell's hands. Smashing the glass must have cut Zell's knuckles, because there was blood smeared all over Seifer's shirt and palms. "But, don't take it out on me."

Zell remained silent, which Seifer guessed was his form of apology right now. "We should get your hand looked after. I'll take you back to your mother's."

"I don't want to go there," Zell answered, looking out where the passenger window used to be.

"Well, then where do you want to go?" Seifer asked patiently. The sun was starting to set over the ocean, casting it in an orange light.

"Go to the Ocean Pearl. It's on Grotto Avenue."

"Okay. What is the Ocean Pearl?" Seifer asked, knowing very well that it was a bar.

Zell didn't answer, because he knew Seifer knew. Seifer pulled into Balamb Town and found the Ocean Pearl. It was more specifically a gay bar. It wasn't a dance club or anything. It was just a drinking establishment that quite a few gay men liked to visit to kick back a few drinks.

"I don't think you should be drinking...." Seifer didn't even finish his sentence, because the shorter blonde got out of the car and went straight in. Seifer sighed and found a parking spot, following Zell in. The place was at least clean and wasn't a dive. Zell had positioned himself at a table in the corner, and was already motioning for the waiter to come over. When Seifer approached, Zell tapped the chair beside him. "Sit." When the waiter came over, Zell ordered a bottle of Galbadia tequila. Before the waiter could leave, Seifer grabbed him by the elbow and said "orange juice" quietly. He knew that Zell was going to try to drown his sorrows by getting shit-faced drunk, so Seifer would have to stay sober to not only drive, but to also keep an eye on him.

As Zell drank, Seifer contemplated things, still sipping his first orange juice while Zell was on his third bottle. He wasn't surprised in the least that Xu voted against Zell. But.... Squall? _Why_? It disgusted Seifer. Weren't Squall and Zell supposed to be best friends? Seifer also then felt guilty. If Zell had quit Garden... that wasn't something he could take back. And, it was all because of Seifer. It was because of Seifer that Zell had more than likely lost his job, and lost his best friend, too.

In the process of his binge drinking, Zell had moved his chair so he was right beside Seifer. "Have a toast with me," he commanded as Seifer finished his juice. He poured some clear liquor that smelled very, very strong into Seifer's glass. "One drink won't kill you."

Seifer sighed. "Fine. What are we toasting....?"

"Us," Zell murmured. His voice was starting to get pretty slurred. But, he looked and sounded a lot more alert than he actually was. "You. Because if I didn't have you, I would have nothing." Zell then clanged the bottle against Seifer's glass hard enough that the liquor in the glass sloshed on the table. Seifer only took a small sip, his stomach starting to feel like it was in knots. This was a nightmare. He didn't want to be responsible for destroying Zell's life. Not when he was already responsible for destroying Raijin's life, not to mention his own.

After four more bottles on Zell's part, he was so beyond shit-faced drunk that he couldn't see it anymore. Most of his conversation was cursing Squall into the bowels of hell, and making some nasty comments about Xu that even raised Seifer's eyebrows, and he hated Xu more than he hated quite a few people. By that time, the bar was starting to close, and Zell was drunk enough that he was being asked to leave.

"You don't have to throw us out, asshole!" Zell shouted at the bartender as Zell led him back into the cool air of a Balamb night. The air smelled salty and fresh. Zell was leaning on Seifer because he couldn't walk on his own.

"Come on," Seifer murmured, helping Zell along. "Time to go home."

"I don't have a home anymore," Zell hissed, swaying. "Fucking Garden bastards."

"Okay, okay. Let's go to your mom's."

"Hey.... what happened to my car?" Zell asked, looking at the broken passenger window.

"You broke it," Seifer answered, putting Zell in the seat and doing up his seatbelt. He had a lot of experience dealing with people in this sort of situation. Raijin's choice hadn't been booze, rather Blackball, but the situation was somewhat similar. Seifer drove the car back to Ma Dincht's house. The lights were on as they walked up the sidewalk.

Zell stumbled and fell to his knees. "Ow," he muttered. "I think I fell." His voice was so slurred that it sounded like one word.

"I think you're drunk," Seifer said, helping Zell to his feet. But, Zell just slid down again. The taller man sighed and picked Zell up, carrying him bridegroom style.

"Seifer.....? I love you." Zell rested his head against Seifer's shoulder.

Seifer knew that Zell was plastered, and that just because Zell said 'I love you', it didn't necessarily mean anything at the moment. But, it still made him smile. When Seifer got into the house, Ma Dincht immediately came bustling out of the living room, wearing a terrycloth bathrobe. "Oh, thank Hyne! I was so worried!"

His mother's voice compounded with his inebriated state made Zell think of how disappointed she must have been in him, how he fucked everything up. How Squall had betrayed him. Squall.....

"Where did you go?" Saffron asked quietly.

"He got drunk," Seifer whispered. "He just needs to sleep it off. Which... which is his room?"

"Oh.... last one on the right."

Seifer nodded and carried Zell upstairs. Each stair they went up made Zell's heart get heavier. What his mother must have thought of him at that moment. It caused tears to sting his eyes, and then he started weeping quietly against Seifer's shoulder. He felt himself being laid out on his bed, and felt his hair being stroked. He could smell Seifer's skin, and reached out for him. Zell felt himself being held, and he started crying harder. He'd just thrown away his entire life. His best friend had just betrayed him. He was in constant fear for his life because he had a demon hell-bent on killing him. And, he had a god holding him right now, who made it all worth it.

Zell woke up, groaning. The sun coming through his window was hurting his eyes. He covered his face with his pillow, wondering what the hell had happened to him. His mouth tasted like he'd licked pavement and then washed it down with an old sock. He sat up slowly, feeling pretty ill. He realized that he was in his bedroom in Balamb Town. Things slowly started to come back to him, but this time he didn't feel the anger he'd felt last night. He looked at his hand, which was all cut up from smashing the window in his car. Now, he just had an empty, numb feeling within him.

Even though Zell was alone in the bed and knew it, he still looked to his side to see if Seifer was there. They hadn't actually _slept_ together very many times, but it had become something intensely familiar to Zell. He knew that Seifer had brought him back here, had sat there patiently while Zell had drunk himself into a stupor, even though he'd disagreed. Zell got out of bed, but did it way too quickly. He couldn't call his feeling 'hung-over', because he still felt _drunk._ The room started spinning, and Zell had to sit back down on his bed because his legs felt boneless. He collected himself for a few moments, then stripped off the clothes he'd been wearing last night, and all of yesterday. The clothes he'd been wearing during his swan song for Garden. Zell suddenly felt very ill, and it had nothing to do with how much he'd drank last night. It had everything to do with they way Xu and the rest of Garden's administration had railroaded him, and how Squall had voted against him. Zell felt that hot anger again, but he also felt completely baffled. He just didn't _understand._ Maybe Zell wouldn't have been thrown out of Garden, but that wasn't the point. It was the point that Squall had voted to punish him, his own best friend. Was Squall's hate for Seifer really that deep, or was he still horrified about the idea of Seifer and Zell being a couple? That idea only infuriated Zell further. How dare Squall try to pass judgement on him for a part of Zell's life that had nothing to do with him?!

"Okay, okay...." Zell muttered to himself, running his hands through his hair, which was sticking up at all angles. "Calm down, Dincht. You can't change what happened," he muttered to himself. "Besides, you wouldn't want to be in a place like that, anyway."

He slowly stumbled around his bedroom towards his own private bathroom, washing away the dirty feeling that waking up still drunk gave him. Even though he was looking at everything through bleary eyes, he still straightened up the clothes that were on the floor and made his bed, neat freak that he was. He slowly went downstairs after dressing in a pair of light blue flannel pants with stars on them. They were an odd pattern for a man of almost thirty, a gift from his grandmother who was getting a little senile, but Zell rather liked them. He also put on an old T-shirt, the logo having been washed off years ago. There was also a hole in one of the armpits, but it was a comfort shirt. And, Zell needed that now. He could smell his mother cooking, and it churned his stomach.

Zell had always been surprised when his mother could hear him coming down the stairs, even when he was being very quiet. It had always made it hard for him to sneak out as a teenager.

"Zell?" She asked, standing at the foot of the stairs, wiping her hands on her apron. "Good morning. You want some bacon?"

"Uggghhh, no." He shook his head, stumbling down the last few steps.

"You really should eat something."

"I'd just barf it back up," he muttered, looking over at his mother. She was giving him that loving yet disapproving look that mothers give children all the time. "Did Seifer drive me home....?"

"He did." She went back into the kitchen to tend to the stuff cooking on the stove.

"Where did he go?" Zell asked, holding his stomach when it revolted at the smell of bacon.

Ma Dincht gestured with her head towards the living room. Zell looked over his shoulder and saw a breathing hump on the couch, covered in one of his mother's hand-crocheted quilts. His eyeglasses were on the coffee table beside him, and Seifer's face was blank with sleep.

"Why'd he sleep down here?" Zell asked, a little confused and disappointed.

"He said he didn't think it was appropriate for him to sleep in your room with you."

"Because I was drunk?"

"Because it's 'my home', as he said it. A gentlemanly gesture."

"Oh..." Zell pushed passed his mother a little, reaching for the coffee pot.

"Here, at least have some toast."

"No," Zell said quietly. "Maybe later."

"Oh, you had a phone call," Ma Dincht answered. She took a piece of bright blue sticky paper off the pad stuck to the wall. "It was Squall, dear."

Zell took the note from his mother and promptly tore it in two. Without a word of explanation to his mother, who was looking at him with raised eyebrows, Zell went into the living room and sat at the end of the couch, gently pushing Seifer's feet out of the way. But, not as gently as he could have. He used enough force that he was woke Seifer up, which was his goal anyway.

Seifer grunted and rubbed his eyes, looking over at Zell. At first he was angry about being woken up, but then he sat up, his hand searching for his eyeglasses. "Hey...." He noticed how pale and slightly green Zell's face looked. "Feeling okay?"

"Still a little drunk, I think. At least I'm not throwing up. Why'd you sleep down here?" Zell asked very quietly.

"I didn't think it was proper for us to sleep in the same bed in your mother's house."

"Yeah, that's what she said."

"Then, why did you ask me?" Seifer asked with a little roll of his pale green eyes.

"I wanted to hear you say it. I think she would have understood, especially because I was too passed out to do anything."

Seifer smiled sadly, reaching out and smoothing his palm over the top of Zell's head. "You're hair's all messy."

Zell reached up and wrapped his fingers around Seifer's wrist. He cocked his head so he was pressing into Seifer's palm, his eyes sliding shut.

"So.... what now?" Seifer asked quietly.

Zell sighed. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Seifer asked. "I have to go home. I've been away from work for too long."

"Well, then I guess I'm going to Timber, too."

Seifer was quiet enough that Zell opened his eyes and looked across the couch at the other man. "What?"

"Maybe you shouldn't."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Maybe you should stay here. You can work something out with Garden, and...."

"I don't _want_ to work anything out with Garden," Zell insisted, anger rising into his voice. His voice then lowered again. "Don't you want me to come with you?"

"That's not the point."

"Then, what is?"

"Look at what's happened to you already because of me."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Zell asked. Their tones were very hushed and quiet, for their conversation was rather private.

"You got thrown out of Garden because of me, Dincht. Look at what happened between you and Xu, and between you and Squall..."

"Stop right there." Seifer's hand had dropped from his, so they were sitting facing each other with their hands in their own laps. "What, so you think now that I might resent you for what happened?"

"Is that a completely foreign idea? We wouldn't be the first couple that grew to resent each other."

"If it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else," Zell pointed out.

"I've fucked up a lot of things, Zell. I'd hate for your life to be one of them. Xu and Squall already think I am."

"The fact that you are concerned about it makes bullshit out of their little theories. They think of you as the same Seifer from ten years ago, and your concern shows that. They don't know what the fuck they're talking about."

"What if we broke up next week, Zell? What if you come to Timber with me, _to live_, and it didn't work out? Then what? You'd have no job, you and Squall wouldn't be speaking...."

"Squall made his choice..."

"Maybe you should talk to him."

"Maybe I shouldn't," Zell snapped. "Look, maybe we might break up. But, if it wasn't you, it would be some other guy. After we broke up, I'd want to have a boyfriend again. And, I would have had to hide him, too. I can't go back to lying and hiding anymore, even if it's not with you."

"You're as stubborn as a fucking mule."

"Where do you think I get it from?" Zell asked, making a gesture with his head towards the kitchen.

"Maybe you should just stay here with your mother for a few days, until everything is sorted out."

"No," Zell answered. "I don't want to be anywhere near Garden."

"Zell...."

"Seifer," Zell said in a way that was very final. "_No._"

Seifer just shook his head. "Fine. Fine... I guess I can't argue with you."

"I guess you can't."

"You look like shit," Seifer murmured affectionately, further messing up Zell's hair. "You drunken lush."

"Bastard," Zell answered quietly, but it was with a small smile. He popped Seifer one in the shoulder.

Seifer pursed his lips.

"Too hard?"

"Yeah...." Seifer rotated his shoulder. "I'm gonna brush my teeth." Seifer got up and kissed the top of Zell's head when he passed. "Good morning Mrs. Dincht," Seifer greeted as he passed. Zell could hear the nervousness and strain in his voice. He was uncomfortable. Zell drained the rest of his coffee and brought the mug back to the kitchen.

"So, I'm guessing you 'overheard'?" Zell asked.

"I did."

"I know that when I was at Garden... I was close-by. But... I can't stay. I need to get away for a while."

Ma Dincht smiled serenely at her son. "You're a grown man. I can't stop you. Besides, you would be much happier going to Timber than staying here and moping. But, I wish you would at least _think _about talking to Headmaster Cid."

"I'll _think_ about it. But, I can't go back there now. I'm too angry."

Saffron nodded, patting the side of Zell's face. "I understand. I'm just glad you found someone who loves you."

Zell just shrugged and tried not to show that his mother's words made him feel warm down to his toes. Zell spent the rest of the day collecting his thoughts, and some of his stuff. He still had some belongings at the apartment he'd rented for his Timber Blackball mission with Selphie and Irvine, but this time he was bringing some more permanent things. He also had to consider that he might not be allowed back at that apartment, since he wasn't SeeD anymore, after all. He also spent some time with his mother. He helped her do chores around the house, and had a light lunch with her alone while Seifer took a walk. Nearing sunset, he and Seifer were sitting in the back sunroom as they waited to go to the train station.

"Zell?" Ma Dincht called from inside the house. "You have a visitor."

Zell's body immediately stiffened as both he and Seifer looked over their shoulders. Selphie slowly came in, as if she was walking towards a dangerous animal. "Uh, hi guys."

Zell relaxed a little, but wondered if she was hear as a Garden messenger. "Hello," he said coolly.

"I'm not here as a SeeD rep," Selphie insisted. "I just came to see... how you're doing?" She smoothed her black skirt over her bum and sat on a footstool.

"All right, considering."

"It was made official, you know. That you 'resigned' as a member of SeeD. They'll send your stuff here, and they've already put out a call to Galbadia and Trabia for a new teacher to replace you for your classes."

Zell just made a grunting noise.

"I can understand why you resigned, though. It's all over Garden, about Squall voting against you. Of course, now the rumours have you knocking him and Xu out and that it took ten guards to restrain you. They've also revoked your name off the Timber mission."

"What about you?" Seifer asked. "Are you still on the mission?"

Selphie nodded. "Yeah. Well... we aren't going back this instant. Since Zell was a high-rank SeeD, we have to do a bit of scrambling until replacements can be found. Irvine and I will be stationed at Garden for a week until things have settled down, then we're going back. The Blackballers may not be addicted anymore, since there's no supply, but they're all nasty from withdrawal."

"Are you getting another SeeD for the mission?"

Selphie nodded, but didn't say anything.

"It's Squall, isn't it?" Zell asked.

".... well, yeah. I mean, Diablos is big-time. Cid thought it was best to send Squall since he was the one that junctioned Diablos most."

"Lovely."

Selphie cocked her head. "Squall seems really...."

"I don't want to hear it," Zell interrupted. His voice was very cold, but he wasn't yelling. "I don't want to talk about Squall. I don't even want to hear his name right now."

She nodded. "I understand, I guess. Well, at least Seifer lives out in the sticks, so you won't have to see him." She smiled sheepishly when Zell raised a pale eyebrow at her. She hugged her knees and smirked. "I'm head of SeeD Intelligence, remember? It's my job to know these things. Though... I wouldn't have needed my skills to guess that you were going back with Seifer."

Zell looked over at Seifer. He was very close to smiling, but he didn't. They just looked at each other. "I may not be on the Diablos mission anymore, but if you need help...."

"I'm sure that if we're looking for Diablos, we'll find you too. He still wants to kill you, and I seriously doubt he's forgotten."

"Gee... thanks." Zell rolled his eyes at her.

"So, um...." Selphie began after a long pause. "What are you going to do now?"

Zell pondered her question for a moment. "I..... I've been SeeD for so long, and it's all I've ever wanted to do. So..... I.... I really don't know." He shook his head, looking at the herbs that his mother was growing. "I guess I have to start over."

Timber was having a streak of beautiful, beautiful weather. The sun was shining, and the temperatures were warm yet comfortable. Everyone was in a good mood as they walked and drove around the city, the sunlight lifting their lately gloomy spirits. Crime was still so very high, and the Blackballers were still a threat to the personal safety of Timber's citizens. But, on a gorgeous sunny day like this, nobody was thinking about that as they sat at outdoor cafes and window shopped along promenades with brightly coloured window displays.

At one of those outdoor cafes, Daeva was sitting in all his human and fey elegance. Women smiled at him as they passed, not even recognizing him as Count Aka-Manah. Daeva's fey blood, coupled with millions of years of magic in his veins, made his glamour magic the most powerful that time had ever seen. Glamour magic was a fey specialty, and Daeva had perfected it beyond the race's wildest dreams. His appearance was no different, but it was the air around him that was. He had the exact same ice blue and ink black eyes he'd always had, the same silken hair, the same flawless skin and soft looking mouth that covered dazzling teeth which flashed in a mischievous smile. But, there was just something different in his mannerisms that made him appear a completely different person in the eyes of humans. Any common sorcerer could merely change their nose or eye colour, but it took a true master to change the intangibles.

Daeva blew on the top of his expensive cappuccino, smiling. Even he was enjoying the sunny weather. It felt like renewal to him. And, it gave him a sense of peace, especially when things were far from peaceful. He was frustrated about the former Knight of Ultimecia and his mercenary lover. His plans for his former Blackballer would take some time to come to pass, and Daeva had _never _been good at waiting. Even millions of years hadn't given him any patience. And, things were tense among the Ancient Court. Shiva was angry with him for manipulating her emotions, even though he hadn't lifted a magical finger. She'd done it all on her own, which was something that none of them believed. Alexander was still walking around with that damn smug smirk on his face when he was in human form, and there was an air of victory around his mechanical frame at other times. And, Bahamut.... Daeva could more than live with Shiva's anger or Alexander's sanctimonious bullshit, but Etanin's silence with him was the most fretting.

Daeva had used all his sensual charms to try and lure Bahamut to him for a nightly visit, or even just a casual passing of energy, but Bahamut was having none of it. His anger was like a stone wall that none of Diablos's tricks could topple. Daeva stirred some cream into his drink with such grace that it was almost painful, and caused someone nearby to watch him with reverence only shown to religious icons. He was wearing modern clothing so he fit in quite well as far as dress went, but his appearance would never allow him to completely mingle with even the most beautiful humans, who would look plain compared to the shining beauty of fey blood. Their hair just didn't shine the same, their skin just didn't glow the same. He actually felt quite under dressed, because he rarely showed skin while in clothing. It was just something left from his human life. His pale arms were bare in a fitted, sleeveless t-shirt in red the colour of blood, which looked striking against the blackness of his hair and the slacks in breathable cotton he was wearing.

The waitress came over and put a delicious looking dessert in front of Daeva. He looked down at the light and fluffy pastry with all its whipped cream and fresh berries, and then looked up at the waitress, who was smartly avoiding his eyes, as if she knew that he was a magical creature. "What's this?"

"The gentleman sent it over," she murmured, gesturing towards the bar. She left and went across the cafe. Daeva noticed she also didn't look the generous gentleman in the eye. For, he exuded an even stronger air of power than Diablos did. Though, he was easier to look at. While Etanin was vastly more powerful than Daeva himself, he did not possess fey blood, and had been fully human before transforming into Lord Bahamut. Though, he was still by far the most handsome man in the cafe.

__

Well well, was Daeva's cool response. _What brings you here? It can't be the prettiness of the waitresses, can it?_

Etanin got up from off his stool, leaving a glass of water behind that hadn't even been touched. He casually walked across the cafe in his smart looking white linen pants and casual dress shirt in a dark blue that perfectly matched the colour of his scales in true form. It was messily untucked, and open enough at the throat that Daeva had to hide his rush of desire at the glimpses of tanned flesh. In the language of the Summons, Etanin whispered in Daeva's ear as he passed, heading towards the door. _I'm watching you._

Daeva frowned into his cappuccino. _I'm not a child that needs supervision._

Then do not give me reason to supervise you.

Daeva raised an elegant eyebrow as Etanin stepped out onto the sidewalk. _You can watch me from anywhere. Why show yourself to me?_

Because you're making such an effort to draw my eyes to you with your glamour, Berith. Etanin then spoke in Daeva's language. _Vhax dulla xrael'da kui._ The closest thing that modern language could translate the phrase to was 'you look very pretty today'. That was a poor translation for something that was such a personal and intimate phrase, but the human tongue was rough for expressions such as those, expressions meant for the fey. And, then... he was gone, leaving Daeva sitting there staring at the dessert. He sighed and tented his fingers together. He could have kept things cool and impersonal for that brief contact if Etanin hadn't had to be a bastard and say something like that to Daeva. True, he was pouring the glamour on thick, mostly to get Bahamut's attention and to nettle him, but Etanin had one-upped him yet again. He knew his little compliment would get under Daeva's skin.

__

Oh, Eta... you love your little mind games.

There was silence. Bahamut was either ignoring him, or hadn't heard him. Probably the former. Daeva purposely threw in the 'Eta', which was something that Daeva only called Bahamut under very special, _private _circumstances. Daeva just smiled and dipped his finger into the whipped cream, licking it off in a sensual gesture. Diablos knew that Bahamut was watching him, so he would have to be extra sneaky. Good thing that's what he was best at.....


	13. Chapter 13

****

Thirteen

Seifer stretched in his chair, yawning. He'd been hunched over his computer for the past six or seven hours. He hadn't been absent from work _that _long, but the paperwork had really piled up. Xera had taken good care of the store, but there was stuff that she couldn't do, and just left it for Seifer. He'd been back in Timber for a week now, and was only now just starting to catch up. Though all this paperwork was a pain in the ass, the past week really had been.... great. It felt nice to have someone at the house with him, someone that he was sharing a bed with. Though, there were a few issues. There was no problem between Seifer and Zell per se, but it was more an issue of Zell himself. They weren't spending that much time together because Seifer was so busy at work, so that meant that Zell had to find ways to fill the time by himself, and now that he didn't have his job at Garden, he really didn't know how to fill that time. He spent a lot of it sleeping. When he wasn't sleeping, he was working out. Or, he was napping. Or, he was cleaning. Or moping. Seifer knew that it hadn't been much time at all, but he didn't want to see Zell just shuffling around and feeling sorry for himself.

Seifer rested his chin in his palm, staring blankly at the computer monitor. The numbers were all starting to meld into one. He tried to think only of paperwork, because getting distracted would just make Seifer want to abandon it. He was the boss; he didn't have time to daydream about his boyfriend. His boyfriend.... Seifer couldn't help but smirk at his own silliness. He was a grown man, and here he was smiling and blushing like a school girl. He settled in and started doing yet more margin reports. After a while, there was a gentle knock on the door. When the office door was opened, he could see that the sun was setting outside. It was probably near closing time.

"Hey, boss." Xera leaned on the door frame. "Gonna take off now. You've got a visitor, though."

Seifer's ears perked up and he wheeled his chair around so he was facing Xera. He was expecting to see Zell, for who else would visit at closing time, but there was a big part of him that was hoping it was Fujin. He'd left a message for her telling her he was back in town, but hadn't heard anything from her yet. Fujin's silence cut Seifer deeply.

But, it was neither Fujin nor Zell. Seifer's face remained blank as he found himself looking at Squall. "So...?" Xera asked. "Is it okay if I lock up now?"

"It's fine." Seifer stared at Squall coolly. Squall just stared back blankly. They didn't utter a word as they both heard Xera putter around and lock things up. They didn't even speak after she'd left. After a while, Seifer was the one who broke the silence first. "Well....?" He gestured with a hand, waiting for Squall to explain himself.

"I came to speak with you." Squall had his left wrist clasped with his right hand, his hands clad in his usual black leather gloves. He was wearing a pale grey sweater that set off the paleness of his eyes.

"Really? This should be good." Seifer gave an expectant little smile.

"About Zell."

"I'm sure you could speak with Zell about your problems. I'm not going to be a mediator between you two."

"You know very well that he would slam the door in my face."

"I can't blame him," Seifer replied, his voice raising in anger. "You sure did fuck him over."

"I couldn't think of myself as Zell's friend at that moment."

"Oh, oh!" Seifer threw his head back and laughed. "Yes, that's right. Squall the loyal, Squall the follower. You never _could_ think for yourself."

"Garden has rules, Seifer. Not that you'd ever understand that. You never found a rule that you cared to follow."

"If you knew anything about me, you'd know that's not entirely true. I'm surprised at you, Squall. You had a real insight to me when we were in the heyday of our 'rivalry'." Seifer did air quotation marks to emphasize the misuse of the word in their situation. "You knew that there were some rules that were _very_ important to me."

"Only the ones that suited you."

"Only the ones that were right!" Seifer glared angrily at Squall, who now stood with his arms crossed. "Do you really think I cared about doing meaningless tasks that Instructors gave to make themselves feel big? Do you really think that the rules on tardiness are worth caring about?"

"It's not up to you to pick and choose which rules to follow."

"Stupid school crap is nothing compared to real world situations, Squall. Rules and textbooks don't apply there."

"Oh, are you saying you obeyed mission rules?" Squall asked quietly. "Like the Dollet mission? I seem to recall you failing yet again because of that little run of rule-breaking."

Seifer's face paled in anger. "Do you think you'd even be in a position now to be like that cunt Xu and sit up on your high-horse and deem yourself better than your friends and comrades if it _weren't_ for me leaving my post? Or, maybe you wouldn't exist because Time Compression would have happened if we'd just sat on our thumbs in that square. Maybe you wouldn't have been sent to Timber and met your precious Rinoa."

Squall briefly looked away, collecting himself. "You're arrogant enough to think that single moment changed everything?"

"Of course it changed everything. Didn't you learn anything from what happened, Squall? Or, did you only learn how to be complacent and take the standard for granted?"

Squall remained silent, but Seifer read the frown on his face to mean that Squall didn't know what Seifer was getting at.

"Everything changes based on simple actions. Time's fickle like that. _Everything_ happens because of a tiny sliver in time, the smallest of actions. I don't think you realize the impact of what you did to Zell."

"What does that have to do with the 'standard', if I may?"

"We shocked the hell out of you, Zell and me. You hated that. You hate that more than the fact that Zell sleeps in my bed with me, and lets me touch his body. It changed your image of Zell, and you _despise_ that."

"How dare you profess to know how I feel..."

"And, how dare you come here to talk to me about Zell!" Seifer shouted, rising to his feet. Squall took a step back because he was very familiar with the temper of Seifer Almasy. "I know you want me to talk to him on your behalf, Squall. I can see it all over your face. You may be a master of burying your emotions, but you can't hide them from me. I know you too well. You should have done what _you _thought was right, not what your sense of duty thought was right."

"Do the two have to be different?"

"Your answer right there is the reason that Zell will probably never forgive you. You just don't get it."

"I want Zell to hear my point of view."

"I won't stop you from talking to him. Despite what you may think, I want you and Zell to be friends, because I know how much he cares about you. No, rather how much he loves you. And, because he's miserable, and it has nothing to do with losing his job. Losing his job wouldn't make him cry."

Squall pursed his lips. He'd seen Zell bluster and rage and show millions of emotions in the years, but he'd never seen the other man cry. Not once. There were a lot of things that Squall was sure that Zell kept private, and that part of him was one of them. The same, Squall supposed, as his sexual desires. "I had to appear impartial..."

"Do you think Quistis cared about being impartial? Or even Cid and Nida? No, because not only did they think Zell was a great asset to Garden and good at what he did, but they also didn't care about things that didn't affect his job at all. And, you know.... you may have done what you thought 'was right', but you really just fell into Xu's hands."

"Not everything is about the shit between you and Xu."

"No, I agree. It sure as fucking hell started out as her vendetta against me, but it didn't end that way. You made sure of that. Zell could have lived with working alongside Xu after this, even though she used him like a pawn, but he couldn't stand to be near you after you betrayed him like that. He gave his entire life to Garden, and you didn't consider that. You only cared about what he was doing behind closed doors with me."

"You murdered Odine!" Squall pointed out sharply, also starting to lose his temper. Things had been pretty tense for Squall in the past week. He knew he was still being watched by people he wasn't entirely sure were even human, he hadn't left Balamb on the best terms with Rinoa, and Selphie was being extremely cold with him since the Garden Tribunal. Irvine was being polite and civil, but it felt forced. Not to mention that the Blackballers were still making Timber a dangerous place. Seifer's orders for weapons had increased ten-fold because of the fear and paranoia that the former drug addicts were instilling in Timber's residents. Squall definitely wasn't as calm and collected as he usually was. And, quite frankly.... he missed Zell. A lot. Squall had sort of taken their friendship for granted, thought that Zell would always be around when he needed him. And boy, did Squall need him now. He needed someone to 'talk' to about Rinoa's pregnancy, and his feelings of being stalked. Squall usually didn't lose control of himself like this, but there had been times in the past where he'd felt like the weight of everything around him was going to crush him.

Squall remembered the day before his wedding to Rinoa, where he'd wondered if it was the right thing, if he was getting himself into a huge mess, if Rinoa was even right for him because she drove him nuts sometimes. And, Zell hadn't said anything to him, or prodded him at all. Squall hadn't said a word to Zell, and had only paced back and forth in Zell's room at his mother's house. But, Zell had been there all the same, and the only thing he'd done was give Squall a hug. It had made Squall feel calm and safe, because the hug was so free of judgement or ill feelings, and only about friendship and had said more than hours of talking could have. Didn't Zell know that Squall had wrestled with himself over the decision? He couldn't show partiality. The Tribunal was something that had been assigned to him based on his ability to disconnect his feelings from the situation. He'd had to do what was right for Garden, but Seifer's words and his own feelings were starting to make Squall hot with the panic over what he'd done.

Squall had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the silence on Seifer's part. Squall saw that Seifer was still staring at him, but not _really_ staring at him. He was staring somewhere beyond Squall, beyond the room. Maybe beyond this moment in time. His face looked pale, but it wasn't because of anger this time. He looked _haunted_. When Seifer spoke next, his voice was very quiet and subdued. Most people would have never heard Seifer Almasy's voice take on that tone, but Squall had heard it a few times, especially during Seifer's disastrous role as Ultimecia's Knight. "Do you think that I've forgotten what I've done? Do you think I enjoy thinking about what I did? Do you think it was pre-meditated?"

"I..."

"Save it," Seifer snapped. "I know which people I need forgiveness from, and you aren't one of them." Seifer went over to the door and held it open. "If you want to talk to Zell, talk to Zell. Don't do it through me."

Squall tried to stare Seifer down, but the taller man was having none of that. Most people eventually looked away when Squall stared at them like that for too long. Seifer never had. In fact, Squall was the first one to break the gaze. He left the store without another word, without a backwards glance. When he stepped on the sidewalk, now cast in night shadows, he felt intensely alone. Normally, Squall could bear the solitude quite well, but not tonight. These were moments when he knew Rinoa had changed his life profoundly. He looked around, eyes searching for the nearest pay telephone. When he found it, he put in some coin and dialled a number intimately familiar to him, because it was his own. The phone rang five or six times, Squall standing very still and not tapping his foot or drumming his fingers like any other person would do in a moment of impatience. He just stood there and let it ring.

"Hello, you've reached Squall and Rinoa," her voice answered, recorded onto their answering machine. "Please leave a message at the tone, and we'll get back to you." It wasn't a very interesting message, but whenever Rinoa wanted to make a creative one, Squall always just changed it to something even blander than her pleasant voice, which she thought sounded too much like a message on a big-business machine.

"Rinoa, answer the phone," Squall said tersely. "I don't want to talk to the machine."

Silence.

Squall was also silent, so he was sure he was using up a lot of their memory space. "Pick up, Rinoa."

Nothing.

He leaned against the phone booth. "Rinoa, goddammit. Pick up the phone. Look....." He struggled for words. "I know I was a jerk, but.....I wanna hear your voice."

Again, nothing.

Squall just sighed and hung up. He took the nearest trolley to his apartment, which used to be Zell's rented apartment. Zell had gotten there before Squall, so the place had been cleaned out of all his belongings. Selphie and Irvine were in the living room watching TV, the connecting door opened. Selphie looked up and glared at Squall. Normally her face was so full of cheer and friendliness, but not then. She stared at him, and her face was alien to him, that of a stranger. Irvine just gave him a wilting smile, but turned back to the TV, his gaze not comfortable meeting Squall's.

He sighed heavily, going into his rented bedroom. It felt very empty and alone compared to the Balamb bedroom that he shared with Rinoa. Squall took off his clothes until he was in just a T-shirt and boxer shorts and flopped down on the bed, staring at the wallpaper for a while. He reached for the phone on the nightstand and dialled his number again. The machine picked up, but this time Squall didn't talk to a machine or dead air. He just hung up, but kept the phone in his hand, curling it against his chest. He fell into a fitful sleep after a while, wondering if Rinoa would call him back, if Zell would ever even let him explain himself, or if he would stop feeling like he was being watched.

Seifer sighed, tossing his keys onto the small table in the corner of the hallway by the front door. A visit from Squall definitely wasn't the way he'd wanted to end the evening. His back was sore from being hunched in front of his keyboard for hours on end, and he just wanted to get some sleep. He made a quick stop in the kitchen and picked up a shiny red apple from the bowl on the counter. He munched on it as he climbed the stairs, which seemed endless to his weary legs. He went down the hall and stopped by the bathroom, where Zell was mopping the floor.

"Made a mess, did you?" Seifer asked, leaning on the door and taking a bite of the crispy apple. "Never potty trained or something?"

"Doesn't hurt to clean."

"Are you calling me a slob?" Seifer asked, throwing the core of the apple in the garbage. Though, he did have to admit that the bathroom did look spotless. It's not that he was messy, but Zell was a very thorough cleaner. The other day, Seifer had caught him taking apart the bathroom's exhaust fan to dust it.

Zell leaned on the handle of the mop, regarding Seifer. He looked quite adorable with a red bandana holding his hair off his face, and something a lot more mature than adorable with his muscular, masculine arms bared by a grey T-shirt with the sleeves cut off.

"Well?" Zell asked. "Don't I get a kiss?"

"I suppose," Seifer muttered, non-chalant. Though, inside he was more than glad to grant Zell's request. He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on Zell's mouth.

Zell smiled and looked up into Seifer's face when they broke apart, though they were still very close together. "Hmm... what happened?"

"We just kissed...." Seifer trailed off teasingly, his mouth now moving across Zell's cheek.

"No, I mean... what _happened_? You've got this look on your face."

"Look?"

"I can tell something's bugging you."

"It's nothing, really. Just tired." Seifer sighed as Zell leaned the mop against the wall and wrapped his arms around his waist. He kissed the top of Zell's head and then their lips met again in what was supposed to be a brief kiss. But, seeing as how they were in a very 'newlywed' phase of their relationship, a brief kiss always stretched out into something longer, more lingering, more passionate. They'd had sex before, they'd shared the same bed before, and they'd kissed before, but it still felt new. When Zell had first come to Timber, Seifer had actually been quite unsure as to how well living together would go. After all, they'd gotten into some terrible fights in the past, and while things may have been going fantastically now, living together always did bring up new and unforeseen problems. But, Seifer didn't want to think about that, nor did he want to think about his visit with Squall, which he knew he would have to bring up to Zell eventually. But, not right now. Right now, kissing Zell felt too nice to be interrupted by a terse conversation about Squall, and Zell's feelings on _that_ whole matter.

Zell smiled against Seifer's mouth, then tucked his head under Seifer's chin as they held each other, standing in the middle of the bathroom. Zell's hands slid up under Seifer's shirt, stroking his back and his stomach in an affectionate way. Seifer's fingers started to linger over the nape of Zell's neck, and into his hair. The caresses, which while filled with affection, didn't have a sexual nature to them at first. But, when you touch someone that you not only desire sexually, but also care very deeply for, those sorts of caresses tend to take on a different air. The hands that were running up and down Seifer's back under his shirt started to have more press in them, and the fingers were tracing the lines of Seifer's torso in an exploratory way. The fingers that were in Zell's hair started to stroke harder, massaging Zell's scalp in a way that sent the sensation shivering all the way down his spine. Zell looked up at Seifer and gave him a smile, which Seifer returned as their foreheads pressed together. Then, in a quick moment, their shirts were being peeled off and their hands were sweeping over bared skin, their mouths becoming fused together. Zell's hands firmly cupped the sides of Seifer's face as they slid down to the gleaming floor, which was still damp from the mopping. Zell's fingers nimbly danced up the side of Seifer's face, removing his eyeglasses. He carefully put them on the counter, which was kind of hard because Seifer's hands were all over his chest and shoulders now, stroking and exploring him. Zell's head lolled back and he let out a small noise of pleasure when Seifer's mouth kissed down the front of his throat. Zell straddled Seifer's hips and forced his mouth down on the other man's in a very heavy, passionate kiss. It was the sort of kiss that probably wouldn't look terribly romantic to anyone who would happen to witness it, but it was the kind that was so gratifying when you were a part of it.

It was the kind of kiss that was messy, where their lips were smashed together, where it was even a little slobbery because of all the tongue action. But, it was also the kiss where you didn't care what you looked like, what you sounded like, and Seifer and Zell sure didn't care, because all that mattered was the feeling between them. It was a feeling of closeness, and of deep desire for the more than sexual. Zell loved the feeling of closeness and companionship he got when he was around Seifer, especially now that he felt rather alone and alienated because of all that had happened at Garden. His whole world was now upside-down and unfamiliar, so he valued how he felt when knowing he was living in Seifer's house, sharing Seifer's bed, but more importantly, sharing his time.

Seifer tightly wrapped his arms around Zell, pressing his face into Zell's chest. He breathed in the masculine smell of him as their hips started to move against each other in a slow grind. Though Seifer could feel Zell hard rubbing against him, he kept his hands above the belt-line. He wanted to prolong their contact, to stretch it out and make it last. He wanted to soak in the feeling of Zell. And, that meant all of him, not just the sexual feeling of him. Seifer's hands tugged and ran through Zell's hair as not only their genitals rubbed together through their pants, but their bare skin rubbed together. They lowered their bodies further, so that Zell wound up on his back on the floor. The coolness of it against his bare skin coupled with the stimulation of Seifer's hands so thoroughly exploring his body made his nipples harden. Seifer's fingers found the nubs and tweaked them, which made Zell squirm and arch his back up to the touch.

Zell started to wiggle out of his pants and underwear, helped by Seifer's now quick and eager hands. While he loved foreplay and extending the moment, their relationship was still so new, coupled with the very new feeling of not only being lovers, but living together too, that it was hard for them to hold off on that release. There would be time in the future to stroke each other's flesh for hours and to try and see how long they could hold off orgasm. But, that time wasn't now. Zell writhed as Seifer's body covered his own. He wound his legs around Seifer's, moaning at the sensation all over his skin, that maddening friction. It felt so good, much better than just kissing and petting, at least in his current mindset. But, he wanted more. He wanted to feel Seifer's hands _all over_ him. He wanted to feel Seifer _inside_ him, but not just that. He wanted to feel Seifer fucking him. He wanted to feel Seifer's cock like a piston in him, moving against the inside of his body, deeper and deeper.

Seifer struggled out of his own pants, his now naked body rubbing against Zell's. Their lips seized each other again, their hands impatiently fumbling over each other's bodies, searching to stimulate each other's genitals. Seifer threw his head back and groaned, his hips thrusting against Zell's. The smaller blonde's bare skin squeaked against the laminate floor, and he was suddenly rolled over and pulled up to his knees. Seifer stood up and opened the medicine cabinet, and then was quickly all over Zell again. His hands wanted to touch Zell's skin over and over again, and they were shaking as he ripped open the condom package. He lubed himself and Zell up in record time, and put the condom on with blistering speed, just so his hands could stroke over the smoothness of Zell's skin that encased his hard muscles. Zell looked over his shoulder at Seifer, and they started kissing again, their tongues moving over each other's lips, twining together, practically suffocating each other with them. The way that Seifer's fingers touched him from the inside, and the way they touched him now made Zell whisper incoherently into Seifer's mouth, begging Seifer to fuck him. Seifer swept his hands down Zell's back as he started to push himself inside his lover's body.

Zell's brow creased as he felt Seifer's erection pushing into him. Seifer was always gentle, so it wasn't pain that Zell felt. It was just a feeling of 'differentness'. He started making small noises that he couldn't control; little mewling noises and hitched pants and whimpers of delight. His fingers crawled across the floor as Seifer continued to push into him. He felt Seifer's hips pressing against his buttocks and let out a very shaky breath that was mixed with a barely audible groan. Seifer's hips began to slowly rock against him, that friction from within him causing Zell to furrow his brow and bite his lip. As Seifer's thrusts began to get a little more purposeful, Zell reached out and gripped the first thing his hands could find, which was the edge of the bathtub. His fingers turned white from how hard he was gripping it as Seifer's hips moved faster against him. His body bowed lower and lower, wanting Seifer deeper and deeper in him. The sound of their flesh slapping together filled the bathroom, and was only matched by their heavy breathing and the groans that came ripping from their throats. But, he longed for the feel of Seifer's body all around him as well as within him, so Zell rose to his knees, pressing his back flush to Seifer's chest.

One of Seifer's hands was playing with Zell's genitals, and the other one went into his hair again, stroking the softness of it, then stroking down the nape of his neck and across the masculine broadness of his shoulders. Zell's head lolled back so it was resting on Seifer's shoulder, his temple pressed to the other man's throat. His arms came up and draped over Seifer's shoulders, his own hips rolling back to meet the other man's. He moaned as he heard Seifer moaning, loving that Seifer was enjoying it, and loving the feeling of Seifer's hard penis rubbing against the inner walls of his lower intestine. After sex, Zell would notice that his knees were sore from kneeling on the unforgiving floor. But, now he couldn't feel that. All he could feel was Seifer inside him, Seifer fucking him. All he could feel was Seifer's dick thrusting deeper into him, then moving out, then pushing in again. He could only feel how hard his heart was beating against his chest. He could taste that heartbeat, and it actually kind of hurt how hard his heart was thumping against his breastbone.

Seifer buried his face into the nape of Zell's neck, the motion of his hips against Zell's now just instinct, not something he was concentrating on. He breathed in the smell of Zell's sweaty skin, the feeling of his hair and the wet pull of his skin under Seifer's fingertips. Then, all he could sense was the taste of Zell's throat on his lips, feeling the vibration of Zell's laughter against his mouth as he kissed over the front of his neck. Zell tasted so good and felt so good pressed against him, and the inside of Zell's body was so hot and tight around him, and it all felt just so goddamn right. He felt Zell's breath hitch against him, and felt the hot stickiness of semen against his hand as the muscles of Zell's rectum tightened and constricted around Seifer's erection. Seifer groaned into the spot on Zell's back between his shoulderblades as he came, his arms wrapping tighter around Zell, holding him close.

Zell panted and slid down so he was sitting on the floor rather than kneeling on it. Seifer's tight embrace kept his heart pounding, even after the high of orgasm started to dissipate. He twined his fingers with Seifer's as they both sagged against the side of the bathtub. They held each other tightly, and for a long time. Long enough that their legs had fallen asleep because of their awkward sitting position.

"You know..." Seifer murmured, his voice thick with afterglow. "I _do_ have a bed, you know?"

Zell grinned and let out a small chuckle as they disentangled from each other. They had sex quite often, but it was usually in places besides the usual one: the bed. They'd done it many times on the floor, on the couch downstairs, on the kitchen table, in the shower, but only a couple of times actually in Seifer's bed. "Guess I'll have to mop the floor again...." Zell stood up and let out a sigh as the blood started to rush back into his legs. They took to the task of cleaning themselves up, and then Zell cleaned up the ejaculate that had splattered onto the floor with the mop.

As he was cleaning, he noticed that Seifer was getting that oddly distant look on his face. Something was concerning him. Seifer wasn't an open book, but Zell liked to think he was at least starting to know a _few _of the other man's facial expressions and moods. "Okay, what?"

"Huh?" Seifer looked up from the sink.

"You've got that look on your face again."

"Look?" Seifer echoed hollowly. He went down the hall to his bedroom, laying down on the mattress, which was very welcome to his tired body, which was now completely drained of energy because of the sex.

Zell sat on the edge of the bed beside Seifer's feet. "Just tell me, okay?" A touch of nervousness was edging into Zell's voice. "I mean... if it's something to do with Diablos.... are you okay?"

Seifer looked over at Zell, adjusting himself so he was laying properly on the bed, his head propped up. "No, it's nothing like that...." He didn't mean to say more, but he saw the worried expression on Zell's face. "It's about Squall, okay?"

That worried expression became a blank mask of closure. "Oh. What about him?"

"Nothing important," Seifer answered with a shrug of one of his broad shoulders.

"If it wasn't important, you wouldn't have that look on your face," Zell replied. He had a dead tone to his voice, as if he was trying to say he didn't care one hoot about Squall, but Seifer knew he did. Even if he was angry, he still cared. Or else, he wouldn't even be angry at all.

"He came to the shop."

"What....? Why?"

"He wants to talk to you, to explain his side of things."

"Then, why did he go to you?"

"Because he knows you're furious with him, Dincht. You'd just slam the door in his face. No... scratch that. You'd deck him, _then_ you'd slam the door in his face."

Zell remained silent, any joy from afterglow being sucked out of him at a rapid pace.

"But, I told him not to use me as a middle-man. If he wants to fucking talk to you, he can come and talk to you."

"I don't want to talk to him," Zell muttered.

"You gotta face him eventually," Seifer said, slipping under the covers and removing his eyeglasses. He set them on his night-table beside his alarm clock. "You can't hide out here forever."

"I'm not hiding out!" Zell pointed out, temper flaring. It wasn't a real flare-up, but rather one of his superficial shows of temper that most people thought was his actual temper. "I'm here because I want to be with you," he added in a very quiet voice.

The corners of Seifer's lips turned up, and he motioned with an arm for Zell to come closer to him. The shorter blonde slid across the sheets, and sighed when he was enveloped into Seifer's strong embrace, the sheets wrapped around both of them. "I know, Zell. But...."

"I know you're right, but I just _can't_, okay? Not yet. I'm just sorry he harassed you."

"Mhhhh." Seifer made a noise in the back of his throat as he and Zell settled down for sleep. "So, did you decide what you're going to do for a job?" Seifer asked after he'd turned the light out, and they were laying in darkness, save the moonlight coming from between the curtains.

"Uh, well.... I sorta thought that I could work at Archimedes with you...."

"Ehhh!" Seifer made a buzzer noise, his fingers stroking down the line of Zell's upper back. "Wrong answer."

"What do you mean?" Zell asked against the side of Seifer's neck.

"Dating, living together _and_ working together? That's a recipe for disaster, Dincht. We'd fucking murder each other."

Zell opened his mouth to protest, but then he really thought about it. He'd thought he would work at the store with Seifer, because that way they could always be together. The way he felt now, that didn't seem like a bad thing at all. Spending twenty-four hours a day with Seifer was all Zell's heart wanted then. But, that feeling would change. Couples didn't stay in the honeymoon phase forever, and he knew that he and Seifer would be no exception. And, Seifer was right. They'd probably break up in a second if they saw each other's faces _all the time._ "Well.... I guess I have to actually think about it, then."

"I'm sure you have a million things you'd like to try."

"Maybe...." Zell shrugged, resting his head on Seifer's broad chest, listening to his even breathing and the steady beat of his heart. "I just.... I guess I feel kinda lost."

"It's understandable. I know you don't _need_ the job, man. I mean, I know you have money, and even if you didn't, I'd help you, but I know that you also don't like being idle."

"It always impresses me when you know that stuff about me."

"It's my job to know these things," Seifer said in a falsetto that imitated Selphie's voice. "So, what other jobs do you have in mind?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well...." Seifer's words were stifled by a yawn. "You're good at mechanics. The train companies are always looking for people. And, with all the shit that's going on now, I'm sure the Timber Police are looking for people."

"Yeah...." Zell mused. He eventually felt Seifer's breathing regulate and deepen, but Zell couldn't fall asleep as easily. His mind kept going to different places, and when he finally fell asleep, it was a restless one.

The next morning, Zell woke up alone. That wasn't surprising, since Zell often woke up alone. Zell would sleep in beyond when Seifer had already left. It wasn't that Zell was sleeping until all hours of the afternoon, but it was that Seifer was spending so much time catching up at work that he often left before the sun came up. Zell slowly dragged himself out of the warm and still inviting bed and staggered into the shower. As he bathed, he mulled over his options for the day in his head. He figured he'd do some dusting, watch the news (for, he liked to keep tabs on the Blackball situation), and maybe look for a job. He could also go for a run around Obel Lake. The scenery there was amazingly beautiful, and there were so many forgotten walking trails there that Zell was sure during his daily runs, he'd barely discovered even a quarter of them.

When he'd dried himself off and dressed, Zell came downstairs. When he came into the kitchen, he let out a scream that caused Seifer to laugh at him. And no wonder. Zell was sure it had sounded quite girlish.

"What the fuck?!" Zell exclaimed, clutching his chest. "What are you doing here?!"

"I live here sometimes." Seifer smirked as he took a sip of Shumi tea, sitting at the island.

"Why aren't you at work?"

"Why, expecting company?" Seifer smirked. "I guess you'll have to call the milkman and tell him to plough someone else's hole, eh?"

"Bastard." Zell smacked Seifer's shoulder hard enough that tea sloshed out of his cup onto the counter. "Sorry, babe," he said when Seifer glared at him. He kissed the top of Seifer's head and asked "so, what are you doing here?"

"I have to go item hunting," Seifer said. "I figured you'd want to come along."

"Really?"

"Well, get your ass in gear, and let's get going."

Zell raced back upstairs after kissing the top of Seifer's head again. He changed into clothing that was a little more appropriate for fighting monsters. As he fastened his gloves around his wrists, it occurred to him that Seifer had explicitly waited around for him to wake up, instead of just taking off alone like he could have. It made Zell think even more of Seifer than he did already. It was a very thoughtful gesture, because it was just what Zell needed, and Seifer knew that.

He came downstairs, Seifer still sitting at the island, drinking his tea. "Ready!" He exclaimed. He then looked at Seifer, thinking of how he'd wanted to take his mind off Garden, off Squall, and one simple gesture from Seifer did all that. Seifer really knew him that well.

Seifer cocked his head, noticing the expression on Zell's face change from one of eager readiness to one of sadness. "Zell....?" He put his cup down on the counter. "What's wrong?"

Zell just smiled brightly and crossed the kitchen. "I'm ready." But, looking down into Seifer's eyes made his smile falter a little. He wrapped his arms around Seifer's shoulders, burying his face in the curve of the other man's shoulder. He found that his eyes were stinging, and that tears were trying to come out from behind closed eyes. When Seifer's arms tightened around him, Zell let out a shaky little sigh, sniffling as a couple tears managed to escape.

When they broke apart enough that Seifer could look into Zell's face, he stared into those pale eyes with confusion. "Dincht, what's wrong?"

Zell laughed. "Nothing." He wiped his cheeks and smiled through his tears. "I give you permission to laugh at me for crying at nothing."

Seifer gave him a sceptical look. "I'm sure it's hardly nothing." He stroked some of Zell's hair off his face, which just made a few more tears slide down Zell's cheeks. The tattooed blonde captured Seifer's mouth in a kiss, his hands shaking when he reached up to flank the sides of Seifer's face, their lips pressed together passionately. Zell's tongue twined with Seifer's, and he tried to prevent himself from crying more, but just couldn't help it.

"What is it?" Seifer demanded when their kiss broke. "Tell me," he demanded, but in a non-demanding tone. His tone only held affection, which caused Zell's voice to shake when he spoke.

Zell genuinely laughed at himself, wiping his cheeks again. "Really, Seifer... it's nothing. _Really_. It's just..... I dunno." He shrugged.

Seifer waited patiently for Zell to find the words to express himself, if indeed that's what he wanted to do. "I think you do know," he finally said.

"Well, I mean... you waited for me to get up just because you knew I'd want to go hunting with you. It really means a lot to me...." He had to stop talking because his voice was getting shaky again. Zell sniffled, and smiled down at Seifer, putting his hands on the other man's shoulder. "Especially with all the shit with Garden and Squall.... it makes me feel like you really know me." He laughed again, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as he collected himself.

Seifer just cocked his head, his peridot eyes studying Zell's face. He saw that this was the truth in Zell's eyes, and ran his hand through Zell's hair, cupping the back of his head. He tilted his head upwards and placed a very soft and gentle kiss on Zell's forehead. The kiss was more than just a touch of lips to skin. It was a way for Seifer to say 'I love you' when his voice wasn't ready to utter it yet. Zell felt the words behind the kiss just as he felt the press of Seifer's mouth. Zell traced the lines of Seifer's cheekbones and mouth with his fingertips, the caress echoing back the silent sentiments of Seifer's kiss, his fingers also saying what words weren't ready to.

"So, are we going to go, or what?" Seifer asked, feeling he had to break the moment, or else he really was going to do something he'd never done before: told a man he loved them. He'd told Raijin that once, but he'd never said it to a man he was in an intimate relationship with.

"Yeah, let's go." Zell smiled and punched one palm with his fist, sliding out of Seifer's lap. "What are you looking for, exactly?"

"Just some usual stuff. But...." Seifer shrugged as they got into his truck. "It's kind of odd that I need zombie powders already. I just got a bunch a couple of weeks ago."

"There's stuff in the forests that drop it?"

Seifer nodded and drove down the road. "Blood Souls are spreading out, so it's easy to get. Just... it's not a very common item for everyday purchase. I guess maybe the Blood Souls have a nest closer to the city, and they're inflicting farmers with zombie."

"You don't sound too sure."

Seifer shrugged again, turning off to a road that could barely be considered a 'road'. It was grown over, and the trees were very close. "Just seems odd. Blood Souls are cowardly, that's all. I guess Diablos's magic affected more than just Blackballers."

"Probably," Zell murmured. They drove in silence the rest of the way. Seifer concentrated on driving, while Zell looked at the old trees that were passing them by. He did reach out and stroke Seifer's side with his fingers, though. Seifer reached one of his hands off the steering wheel and tangled his fingers with Zell's, holding hands with him the rest of the drive. They eventually came to a clearing, and Seifer stopped the truck, parking it in the shade of a large oak tree, its limbs gnarled with advanced age. Zell got out and started doing some stretching exercises as Seifer reached into the back of the truck and pulled out Hyperion, as well as arming himself with throwing knives and smaller daggers. He also did a few warm-up exercises, and then they were ready to go.

Things were pretty uneventful at first. They did indeed find a hoard of Blood Souls after fighting Cockatrices and some Wendigos, their steel pipes valuable to Alchemists and Blacksmiths alike. They made trips back to Seifer's truck to drop off items and take a few drink or snack breaks, which also involved them being as close together as they possibly could, as completely wrapped up in each other as they could be while still being on the lookout for monsters.

"Hey, Seifer?" Zell asked as they sat on the hood of the truck, nibbling on some dried apricot slices.

"Hmmm?" Seifer had a bottle of water in his hands as he seemingly stared off into space, but Zell knew he was actually listening carefully for any sort of noise.

"Do you smell something...?"

"Oh, sorry. I thought I was alone." He laughed, but winced when Zell popped him in the shoulder.

"I'm serious, you ass. I smell something... off."

"It's probably just fertilizer or animal droppings. The farms around here can give off an awful stench."

"I guess....." Zell noticed Seifer vaulting off the truck and going towards the woods, so he did the same. "Just... it doesn't smell like shit, is all."

"Maybe a Wendigo killed something and it's hiding the carcass around here for later."

Zell just nodded, following Seifer deeper into the thick trees. He hadn't heard any sort of noise, but trusted Seifer's instincts. And, those instincts were right. There were a group of Wendigos centralized around the mouth of some sort of cave, digging in the ground. One did have a dead animal of some sort, the bones pretty much stripped clean of meat. That must have been what Zell was smelling. Seifer and Zell approached very quietly, but there was a fourth Wendigo that they hadn't seen, hiding in the crotch of a tree. It jumped out, revealing Seifer and Zell's location to the others. They made low grunting noises and started loping towards the two of them. Zell was a little concerned, because they were all rather big, and were circling around them, but Seifer seemed absolutely cool and collected.

It didn't take long for the two of them to mow through the strong Wendigos. Seifer bent over each one and inspected them very carefully for items. Wendigos also carried Steel Orbs, something that Seifer was searching carefully for. He pocketed each one that he found.

"What do you want those for?" Zell asked, shaking his hands to get the excess blood off his gloves.

"They might come in handy, especially where Diablos is concerned," Seifer mused thoughtfully, collecting more Steel Orbs.

Zell just nodded. "You know, I'm impressed."

"By....?"

"You, stupid."

Seifer looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I mean... I get nervous when there are four Wendigos around us, but you've barely broken a sweat all day."

Seifer shrugged, but Zell could see a twinkle in his eyes that showed Zell's comment had flattered his ego. "Well I'm used to it, is all. I have to fight these things all the time."

Zell patted the top of Seifer's head as he passed, stopping to examine the carcass the Wendigos had left here. He couldn't tell what it once had been. While the remains did indeed smell, it wasn't quite the same odour as Zell had been smelling all afternoon. "That smell's not going away."

Seifer stood to full height, looking around. "Yeah, I know. It's worse over here...." He went past Zell to the mouth of the cave. "Hmm... the smell is stronger over here. It's probably coming from inside." He stepped into the shadows, and smiled over his shoulder, seeing that Zell was hesitant. "You coming? Or, are you too.... chicken? Eh, Chicken-Wuss?"

"Bastard!" Zell exclaimed, jogging into the cave. "I can't believe I'm going out with you."

"Better watch out, Dincht. It's dark and scary in here." Seifer could barely see in front of him. "You might need a man to protect you.....OW! Man, that really fucking hurt, Dincht." Seifer rubbed the back of his arm.

"I didn't touch you," Zell said in the darkness. "God, it reeks in here." Zell started coughing. The smell had become overpowering. "What do you think it is....?"

"Villar Hharva," Seifer muttered a couple words that Zell recognized from his days in Ancient Language classes back in Garden. It was a language of ancient runes, and a light appeared, floating in mid-air. It was a Will-O-The-Wisp, and it hovered near Seifer's shoulder. "That's a little better." Seifer noticed the scared look on Zell's face, and laughed quietly. "Poor baby... scared of a little floating light?"

"Seifer... you arm...." Zell reached out and looked up at Seifer with concern. "You're bleeding all over the place."

Seifer looked down and did indeed notice that his forearm was drenched in blood that was coming from the back of his arm. "What the....?"

"Maybe you hit it on a stalactite or something....?" Zell examined the wound, wiping some blood off. "Does it hurt?"

"A little."

"It looks like a bite..." Zell used the light of the Will-O-The-Wisp to look closer.

"It was probably a bat. We _are_ in a cave, after all."

"Pretty big bite for a bat, Almasy." Zell coughed as the stench washed over him. Because of the light, he could see a large shadow on the wall, moving from one of the paths that the cave forked into. "Seifer...."

"I see it." Seifer had Hyperion out, but with his other arm, he was covering his nose and mouth from the smell.

"The shadow looks like a spider of some kind."

"Go towards the entrance," Seifer whispered. "But... slow."

Zell nodded and started to move back the way they came. He could still see the shadow of a body with many legs hovering, curious but not aggressive.... at least, not yet. But, it did worry Zell that it could have been this thing that bit Seifer. Maybe it was a poisonous spider?

"Faster," Seifer hissed. "It's coming out." They moved to the mouth of the cave, and the creature followed. Except, it wasn't a spider. Now that more of it was revealed, they saw it was a scorpion-like creature. It's front claws had been hidden in the darkness, folded down underneath of it so only its legs were caught by the shadow. Well, at least it would have been a scorpion at one point. It actually wasn't _that _big, as far as monsters went, but it sure was nasty looking, and looked very imposing at that moment. It seemed hesitant of the sunlight filtering through the dense forest canopy, but still came out, making clicking noises as if it was talking.

"Think there are more of them?" Zell asked, trying not to look at the monstrosity. "Maybe it's calling others?" The scorpion, quite frankly, looked dead. It was rotten, and now that it was out in the open, was giving off such a rotten smell that Zell could taste vomit in his mouth, and Seifer was coughing. It didn't seem to have a carapace, like a normal, garden variety scorpion. Its skin was glistening, but it was because of pus and sweat on it. It was pale grey bordering on white, but had patches of ugly green, yellow and black all over. The colours of rot. Its eyes looked dead and white, and Zell was amazed that it seemed to be looking at them, for it should have been blind with eyes like that.

"I've seen these things before, but not like this....."

"What?" Zell asked as a second one came out of the cave.

"Yeah.... they went extinct a few hundred years ago because humans were encroaching on their territory. I've only ever seen them in pictures before...." Seifer whispered as the scorpions clicked.

"Well, they aren't extinct, dear." Zell turned away and retched as a third came out. The smell was just too much to handle.

"I think they are...." Seifer didn't elaborate on his cryptic whisper, but instead closed his eyes and whispered under his breath. The air got heavier with magic. "Call Ifrit, Zell. We can't fight these things."

"Wha....?"

"Do it!" Seifer shouted as Tiamat appeared from thin air, letting out a great bellow, flapping her wings. The scorpions clicked, but didn't cower at the sight of her.

Zell nodded, trusting Seifer's judgement. In all the commotion of Zell leaving Garden, he hadn't remember to give back his Icon item, so he still had Ifrit to junction. Which was a good thing, since even if Zell wasn't SeeD anymore, he would have felt completely naked if he didn't have a Guardian Force. Ifrit also appeared out of nowhere, growling in the back of his throat, smoke and fire licking from between his lips.

"What are these things.....?" Zell asked as Tiamat and Ifrit took care of the beasts.

"Check the cave," Seifer told Tiamat, patting her muzzle as she turned and went into the cave, her body shrinking to fit.

Ifrit sat at the mouth of the cave, the fire from his body illuminating it. He sniffed the air, and Seifer and Zell could see that he was in deep thought. Tiamat came out of the cave, and seemed to give Ifrit a wide berth. The fire god just watched her carefully.

"The cave is now empty," Tiamat informed Seifer, sitting regally in front of her master, her normal, impressive size once more. "I do not like this...." She looked over the spine of a great wing at Ifrit. "You can sense it, Djinn."

"Hmph." He looked to Zell. "Do you require more assistance?"

"You seem thoughtful," Zell said to his GF. "What is it? If these things are supposed to be extinct, why are they alive?"

"They weren't alive," Seifer muttered.

"That's correct," Ifrit murmured in a velvety voice that seemed out of place coming from his beastly mouth.

"So, they were brought back to life?" Zell asked.

"Not intentionally," Tiamat muttered bitterly. "A side-effect of a very powerful spell." Her dragon face showed empathy.

"Thank you," Seifer said quietly, closing his eyes. Tiamat vanished, while Ifrit stared at the spot she'd been sitting with that same thoughtful look on his face.

"What did she mean?" Zell asked.

"Necromancy is a demon's magic," Ifrit murmured, vanishing in a plume of smoke.

"What the bloody hell did that mean?" Zell asked as Seifer took his hand and led him back towards where the truck was parked. "Wait, wait... your arm."

"I think it just clipped me with its claw," Seifer muttered.

"What did Ifrit mean....?"

"Don't be dense, Zell." Seifer stopped in the clearing and turned to face his lover. "Necromancy brought those things back to life. They must have died in that cave a long time ago, and maybe their remains were fossilized or something. And, if Necromancy is a demon's magic... what demon do we know?"

"Diablos brought them back to life?" Zell asked. "But... Tiamat said 'not intentionally'. So... he must have been doing some other Necromancy spell, and it was strong enough to reach out this far."

"This is bad," Seifer muttered, leaning against his truck. "Real bad."

"Well..... wait!" Zell had pulled out a first-aid kit and was bandaging Seifer's arm. "That rune that Bahamut put on you.... did Tiamat ever tell you what it was?"

"I forgot to ask." Seifer got behind the wheel of the truck. "I'll ask when we get out of here. I got enough items, and quite frankly... I don't feel safe here right now."

Zell just nodded as they drove back to Seifer's house in complete silence. They got out and started unloading the items from the back of the truck, but as he was carrying an armload of steel pipes, Seifer doubled over, dropping the pipes to the ground.

"Seifer!" Zell exclaimed, sliding on his knees to Seifer's position. He cut himself on the gravel of the driveway, but didn't care.

"I'm fine...." Seifer let out his breath, and they were cast in shadow by Tiamat, who had forcibly summoned herself. She was in human form, wearing traditional garb from her time, in a toga-like dress in beautiful aqua fabric, her jewellery probably costing more than half the gems in Centra's mines. Zell helped Seifer to his feet and stroked his back, not caring that Thuban was walking down the driveway.

"What are you doing here?" Thuban asked.

A child was perched on the wooden fence that ran along the side of the road outside Seifer's house. They hadn't even noticed him when they'd gone past. "Watching."

"Oh, were you _watching_ when those extinct creatures came back to life?"

"You should watch the tone you take with me, Thuban." Manannan gave her a chastising look. "I may not have the same feelings towards you as he does, but I am your elder."

She just stared at him with fiery defiance that was purely Alwaid. It made Leviathan's human form smile. "What exactly are you watching? Me, or my Master?"

"A little of both." He looked past Thuban to Seifer and Zell, who were standing silently, watching them. "You don't need to worry... at least not for now. Bahamut has put his protection on you, and even Daeva isn't _that _foolish."

"You'd be surprised," Thuban hissed.

"So, that rune _was_ for protection," Zell murmured.

"I'm sure you can't be happy with being asked to babysit," Thuban murmured.

Manannan smiled serenely. "I don't let fleeting things like that bother me." He walked up the driveway in the carefree way that only children can, but there was such maturity and age behind each step. "I said I would watch over them because I knew Eta wanted it."

Thuban cocked her head, wondering if somewhere, Daeva was having a seizure. He liked to think that he was the only one who was allowed to call her father that very personal shortening of his name. For a man such as Etanin Alwaid was, or a creature such as Bahamut was now, any sort of informality with names was a rarity, especially a pet name like that. Manannan and Etanin's relationship wasn't the same nature as her father's relationship with Daeva, but it was still a very personal one. It was one of deep-rooted understanding, for Leviathan was the elder to Bahamut by millions of years, and was equally as powerful. Bahamut understood that if Leviathan wanted to overthrow him, he could at least have a shot at it. And, Leviathan knew that Bahamut knew this.

"If I sit here and wait for Daeva to make his move, it's but the bat of an eyelash compared to the length of my life, Thuban. I'm twice the age of the Ancient court. Those millions of years make quite the difference."

Seifer and Zell watched in rapt fascination as this child sat on the front steps, drawing patterns in the gravel with the tip of his small foot. He watched them for a while.

"Can.... can I ask you something?" Seifer ventured, slowly moving towards the steps. When Manannan didn't make a move either way, Seifer sat beside him. The silver-haired child smiled benevolently at him.

"You can."

"Why?"

"You mean... why does Daeva want you dead? Why is he going to such lengths?"

"Yes."

Leviathan smiled, staring off into space. Zell and Seifer found his eyes captivating, hypnotic. They were such an amazingly magical ocean blue, and had a snake-ish appearance. "Well... you see, we were all human once. Most of us," he corrected, thinking about the odd summons like Cactuar. "It's something we hold onto for eons. I've seen more than 6 million years, and I still think about my human life. Most of us die naturally. In Thuban or Eta's case, they died in war. It's a casualty of living in such a society. Daeva was murdered...."

"I'm sure Father will _love _you sharing this information with humans," Thuban said to herself.

"He doesn't care. And, if it helps humans understand us more, that we merely aren't spells for their disposal...." He trailed off with a shrug. "Anyway, you see... Daeva was murdered by his King. He was thoroughly betrayed by people who took him in, who promised him a better life than being outcast by the fey."

Zell also sat down, fascinated. He was soothed by Leviathan's voice. Thuban just crossed her arms and looked nervous, as if Leviathan telling this story upset her.

"It's something that anyone would find hard to get over. And, it's not like he was just mercifully beheaded. Daeva was murdered in a painful, awful fashion. It filled his heart with anger and vengeance, and so Diablos was born from his magic. That city, and all memory of it, was razed to the ground by Diablos's wrath. But... the memory to him didn't dissipate. One of Daeva's magicks is the ability to see possibilities. It isn't exactly seeing the future, because as I'm sure you learned from your time with Ultimecia..." He gave Seifer a pointed look. "That time is too hard to predict with true accuracy. There are always things changing the outcomes. But, he sees different impressions of what may happen. These could be in the form of dreams, or visions. He never told me, and Etanin would never break his confidence with Daeva..." Manannan stopped when Thuban made a rude noise. "But, I believe he saw an impression of you killing him."

"But, he's so powerful.... I don't get how it's possible!" Zell exclaimed.

"Anything is possible. We may be powerful, and live for stretches of time that are impossible to gauge, but we can die again. And, because we so acutely remember our human selves, we also remember our emotions. This is why your father and Daeva share what they do," Leviathan pointed out to Thuban, who was still rolling her eyes and muttering snide comments under her breath.

She said nothing in response.

"And, with emotions, we also remember our fears. Daeva fears dying at the hands of a human again, because the way he died haunts him throughout time, and he does not wish for history to repeat itself."

"Was his death really that bad...?" Zell asked quietly.

"I'm sure being viciously tortured and dismembered, then burned at the stake, is at the bottom of your list for ways you want to die."

Seifer and Zell remained silent for a couple of reasons. One, because they couldn't think of anything to say to such a statement. Two, they were simply in awe of such a natural conversation featuring such a wealth of ancient knowledge from a magical creature who was older than the world as they knew it.

"Daeva must have seen an impression of you ending his life, and he's determined not to let this happen."

"But, now that he's taken action in this matter, the future will change," Seifer pointed out.

"Not necessarily." Manannan bit his lip in thought. It looked like such an innocent gesture because of his rosy cheeks and large eyes. "You see, now you will _have _to kill Daeva, lest he kill you. By paying his vision attention, he's caused it to become reality, instead of just a ghost of what could have been. He fell into his own trap of realized possibilities."

Seifer nodded slowly. "Yes, that's true. I guess you know more about these things than I do." He laughed quietly. "I guess you know more about _everything_."

"Not everything." Manannan gave a benign smile, but it was very tight around the edges, and his eyes showed some sadness.

Seifer and Zell looked at this child, this water god, with interest, but Manannan wasn't interested in elaborating. But, Thuban knew what had made his countenance wilt. While some Summons may have hated humans, it's because they were so very human themselves, and perhaps missed being alive again. Daeva hated humans because humans were the ones that had made him die in such agony, and it was human blood that had caused him to be cast out from the shining fey court. But, he still loved his former body. He was vain about his beauty, and loved revelling in the emotions and desires that could only come with mortal blood. Manannan, Thuban knew, had some hatred for humans because he was jealous. Because his form was so reliant on water, Manannan often would stay in human form, for it was easier for him to communicate with the others of the Ancient Court. But, it also hammered home why he was jealous: because he was forever a child. He'd existed for six million years in the body of a boy, never to grow tall and broad of shoulder. He was never to know the pleasures of a grown woman, never to know adult sensuality or have his body grow into that of a man. Leviathan was insanely powerful and ancient, but all he really wanted at heart was to _grow up._

Manannan's clouded expression brightened, and he stood up. "I think I've said more than I should have. But..." He trailed off with a shrug. "Knowledge is power, is it not?" He stood up and walked down the driveway, putting his small hands in the pockets of his coat. He kept walking without a backwards glance. Thuban just had her arms crossed, and disappeared with a harumph of displeasure. It was only after Seifer and Zell had collected their thoughts after Leviathan's impromptu visit that they noticed he'd left behind wet footprints on the gravel driveway.

"So.....?" Zell asked as they slowly went back to the house, both of them looking over their shoulders, wondering if Leviathan was still watching them somewhere.

"Well, at least it gives us insight to Diablos's motives."

"Yeah, but that doesn't really _help_ us, Seifer."

The taller man shrugged and went over to his answering machine. There was one message from Edea, who was currently in Balamb, but Seifer deleted the message almost immediately. There were no others, and Zell noticed Seifer staring at the small box for a few moments. His face was downcast, but Zell could see the sadness in the way Seifer was holding his shoulders. He did this often... checked the machine, hoping against hope that Fujin would have tried to call him. Zell went across the room and put his hands on Seifer's shoulder, kissing the back of the other man's neck before wrapping his arms around Seifer's waist from behind. "She just needs time."

"I don't think time will make her forgive me, Dincht. I mean... you didn't need time to forgive me after Odine."

Zell just kissed Seifer's temple, not giving a response because, really... what could he say? They sat in silence for a while, both of them contemplating the things that Leviathan had told them. Even if Diablos hadn't meant to raise those monsters from extinction, he must have been doing _something_ to cause it as a side-effect, and when it came to Diablos, that meant the something he was doing was some massively powerful spell, and that meant it was bad for them. Seifer tucked his head under Zell's chin, and they sat wrapped up in each other for a few minutes. Seifer then silently got up and went out to his truck to start unloading the items. Zell got the distinct impression that Seifer wanted to be alone for a while, so he didn't follow.

While it was becoming a cool and drizzly night in Timber, it was sunny and warm on the Albatross Archipelago, where a great dragon was laying on the warm grass near the lapping ocean waves. He had his eyes closed and appeared to be napping. There were some human settlements on the islands off the East coast of Balamb, but those resorts and summer homes were on the other side of the islands because Ruby Dragons normally patrolled these areas. Today, the Ruby Dragons were keeping their respectful distance.

__

I'm sure I don't need to update you.

Bahamut's eyes didn't open, and he didn't appear to stir, but Leviathan knew he was awake. The shadow of a huge serpent appeared just underneath the water, and then the ocean god's magnificent reptilian head broke the surface of the water. A few droplets of water fell on Bahamut's hot, scaly skin. The King of Summons stretched and gave a long yawn, nodding his head as Leviathan pressed his muzzle to Bahamut's own in greeting.

__

Well, you came all this way to disturb my solitude. Tell me anyway.

I can't give you specifics, because I don't profess to know the intricacies of Daeva's magic...

There are few who do, Bahamut interrupted. _It's something only a fey mind can understand, and only he and Aria exist now, and she is a very distant descendant, and may as well not even be the same species._

He awoke some extinct creatures without meaning to. Or, at least I don't think he meant to. I don't see the purpose of raising a few oversized arachnids.

Bahamut rested his chin on his clawed front feet. _I'm sure Daeva didn't mean to._

Yes, well... You have more... err, insight to him than I do. Leviathan's mouth split into a snake's version of a smile.

__

Daeva knows that I put a protection rune on those children. If he disobeys now.....

I'm sure you'll think of something awful. It's something you're rather talented at.

Bahamut's brow furrowed, but he kept his eyes closed as if he were still trying to nap.

__

I know you don't get enjoyment out of punishing Daeva, Eta. Your daughter doesn't think you're capable of that sort of compassion.

What of my daughter? The dragon asked in a bored tone.

__

I spoke to her, as did Djinn. The Kramer boy is still carrying her.

I don't honestly care if she understands my motives or not. My ties with Daeva are none of her concern. Nothing in the Court is of her concern.

Leviathan dipped under the ocean's surface briefly to let water run over his gills. He breathed for a while before resurfacing._ What do you suppose Daeva's doing, then?_

Trying to find a loophole around my rune, I'm sure. After all, the rune doesn't allow him to touch those humans, but he has many minions at his disposal. Or, he could just be flexing his magical muscles. Daeva does love to show off.

Also.... Leviathan cocked his head._ I'm feeling something stirring that doesn't involve Daeva's magic in the least._

I know. Bahamut opened one eye and stared at Leviathan calmly. _It's centralized around Squall Leonhart and his wife, the Sorceress. She is with child. And, if Thuban and I are any proof, this power does run in families._

Hmmm.... Leviathan dipped underwater again, resurfacing shortly after. _I've also been watching him, and aren't humans... happier when they know they're going to be parents? _Leviathan asked it as a genuine question rather than a rhetorical one. This was one of the human things that Manannan did not understand because he'd been a child when he'd died. And, Etanin had been not only a grown man, but a father as well. True, he despised Thuban, but he hadn't known she'd be a girl until she was born.

__

Most of the time. It was true that Etanin hated Thuban because she was a woman, but that was only what started it. She'd constantly clashed with him on ideals and her displeasure on how he'd run his kingdom with such a blood-soaked iron fist. She'd been a disappointment to him at every turn, and while he could have looked past the worthlessness of her being a woman, their personalities just made it impossible for them to get along. _While I may have detested my wife, when I heard she was with child, I was.... pleased._

Squall does not seem pleased.

Some people just don't want children, Bahamut pointed out. _Perhaps this is the case with him. Other than that, what do you see concerning him?_

Nothing out of the ordinary. He visited the Sorceress's son at his smithy, and left seeming depressed. Human emotions are a thing of wonder. I believe he is fighting with the Kramer boy's lover.... Leviathan trailed off wistfully, a look of sadness passing over his reptilian face. He felt that jealousy within him that he felt whenever he regarded couples in love. It was something he'd never have.

__

I told you I'd fuck you if you wanted me to, Bahamut said with a smirk, his wings curling around him as he settled in for another nap. _Even though I don't prefer children as bed partners, I'd make an exception for you._

I'm not a lover of men. You know that.

Too bad, Mana. You don't know what you're missing out on. Bahamut yawned again, showing sharp and dangerous teeth, which were then bared in an equally dangerous smile.

__

You never did lack in confidence, Leviathan teased.

Bahamut gave a very masculine and rather human laugh. _I must be doing something right if I can please one of the fey. _He chuckled again and rested his head on his front legs again, curled up like a cat.

Leviathan didn't say anything as a farewell greeting, and just went underwater again, having all the oceans before him to traverse.

Diablos could smell in the air that his spells were taking effect. He was back in his Timber manor, though protected by magical shields from the prying eyes of humans. They could even come and go as they wished, and would never know that he was there. And, come and go they did. The Timber lawmen paid visits, as did the SeeD. Diablos didn't pay any of them any mind, though he often did watch Squall Leonhart for obvious reasons from his hiding places, disguised as a lamb in a painting of a farmer's field, disguised as a dragon in the pattern on a vase, hidden as a spider in the top corners of the ceilings. He'd just been away from the manor, surveying things around the city, and was satisfied. He decided that a long sleep would be just what he needed, though it would have been much nicer to share his big bed with a certain King of the Ancient Court, but Diablos was avoiding him right now. He came to his grand chamber, all in blacks and reds that resembled blood, but halted when he smelled something. His wings let him hover mid-air as he looked around his chambers. The red was too red, and wet looking. He noticed pieces of flesh scattered among his fine silk sheets, and blood was splattered all across the huge bed, which could fit his massive wing-span when he was in true form. There were pieces of a familiar wing, as well as part of a head that he knew had belonged to Nha'zora.

Diablos's demon face wasn't built to convey the emotions he felt, but the shock expressed there would have been evident to anyone. When he tore his eyes away from the mess on the bed, he saw that Nha'zora was also splattered all over the wall, as if she'd been blown apart from the inside. But... how? How?! Diablos's mind first went to those humans who he'd envisioned would kill him, but that was impossible. After all, there was no way they could have found him in this manor, let alone gotten past all the magic barriers and destroyed a creature as old and powerful as Nha'zora. Then, whom....? Ulurha.... he would have been able to defeat Nha'zora. But, why would he? Ulurha and Nha'zora were blood relatives, and Ulurha also knew that something like this would incur Diablos's wrath.

Diablos just got angrier and angrier as he looked at the ruined mess that was one of his most precious demons. Nha'zora had been a follower of his for millennia. His anger didn't only come from outrage at her death. It came from confusion. He hated being confused, and hated being caught off guard even more. Diablos reared up his demonic head when he heard a knock somewhere. It was at the door. Not the door to the manor itself, but to his chambers. The human form of Etanin Alwaid came through the door, and changed into his true form once inside the room.

__

What do you want? Diablos hissed, still sitting on the floor. But, his wings spread out from his back in an angry gesture.

__

I could feel your anger from an ocean away, Berith. Bahamut's fathomless eyes swept over the room, coming to rest on the sheets that were redder now because of the demoness's blood._ This was one of your Varuna...?_

Nha'zora.

Bahamut looked down at the gore, a thoughtful look on his reptile face. _Do you know who did this?_

I do not, Diablos admitted. He would never admit to ignorance to anyone but Bahamut. _I don't understand, Eta...._ He slumped on the ground, his wings flopping in a gesture of very human fatigue and defeat, despite his grand demonic form. _Is this a warning....? I didn't see it._

You can't rely on your clairvoyance.

Oh, gee... thanks for that helpful insight. Diablos snarled at Bahamut, but it was half-hearted as he tried to make sense of something that just happened in the blink of an eye with no warning.

__

Something of great power did this, for it must have been strong to kill a Varuna before she could even put up a struggle.

Diablos looked around the room. In his surprise, he hadn't noticed that the rest of the room was still in pristine condition. Indeed, Bahamut was right. Nha'zora had not fought her attacker. She would have sensed an intruder, even if she'd been sleeping.

__

Was it meant for me?

Bahamut sat on the floor beside the slumping Diablos, his wings folding forward around Diablos's body in a gesture of embrace. _Nha'zora may have been strong, but I doubt you would have been killed as easily as it seems she was._

How can you say that, Eta? Especially when it's unknown what did this. Diablos's horned head bowed, and he felt Bahamut's muzzle nudging him, stroking against his monstrous face. _How could I have not seen this?_

Don't fret over that now. Diablos's clawed fingers were now stroking up and down Bahamut's scaled neck, his wings still wilted in defeat. _I'll discover the culprit._

I don't need you to do my dirty work, Eta.

This was an affront to you, Daeva. You are a member of my court, which also makes it an affront to me.

How diplomatic, Diablos snarled sarcastically, starting to sound a bit more like himself.

__

And, I also hate to see you so defeated. You're mine, and I won't let anyone harm you in any way.

Diablos just nodded, still slumped down, cocooned in Bahamut's wings. He knew that Bahamut was true to his word, and would do everything in his power to seek out the answers behind Nha'zora's murder. Diablos may have been extremely powerful, and may have been the best sorcerer in the world at glamour and dead magic, but Bahamut had magical resources that far outweighed his own. There were reasons why Diablos could never contest to Bahamut's throne. One of those reasons was he'd probably have to fight Leviathan for it, who was twice his age, which meant a lot. Two, that while Bahamut may not have flaunted his powers much, they were still there, and they were _incredible_.

"Eta.....?" Diablos asked quietly, speaking through his mouth in human language.

"Yes?" Bahamut's human voice asked from his dragon's mouth.

"Will you.....?" Diablos didn't have to finish the sentence, because Bahamut knew what he was asking. After millions of years of the closeness they'd shared both in and out of the Court, they knew each other as well as they knew themselves. Diablos's request was conveyed when his demon's body shrunk down to that of Daeva, and he was wrapped in the strong human arms of Etanin, arms that had gained their strength from a human life of hard work and warring. Daeva's request was something that could not be conveyed through magical forms, because the desire to be held by a loved one was so intensely human.

While Daeva mourned Nha'zora in the safe haven of Etanin's arms, Rinoa woke up on a familiar, comfortable bed. It wasn't her bed in Balamb, the one she shared with Squall. It was also the place that she'd spoken to him last after the disaster that was telling him she was pregnant. After a few moments of rubbing her bleary eyes, she remembered where she was. In her old bedroom at her father's mansion in Deling City. She felt tired and weak. Maybe the pregnancy was starting to catch up with her. After her fight with Squall, the last place she'd wanted to be was her apartment. Rinoa wasn't a woman to hold grudges, but she was still angry with him for even suggesting that she give up the baby. What a bastard. But, she still loved him, so knew that they would try to work it out. Squall hated to be surprised, and she'd given him one _hell_ of a surprise.

Rinoa crawled out of bed, wondering if she wanted to tell her father she was pregnant now. Would he be happy....? She thought he would be, so maybe it would be a good idea. She needed _someone_ to be happy for her. She went to the bathroom, which was still painted pale pink from when she was a little girl. She went to the sink to brush her teeth, and when her eyes casually went to her reflection in the mirror. She nearly screamed, but swallowed it, and just stared at herself in horror. Around her eyes was dripping red, smeared with blood. She looked down at her hands, and saw that they were absolutely covered in blood, which was also smearing all over the white porcelain of the sink. Blood... but.... but....

"Oh, Hyne...." she breathed out. She started washing her hands, rubbing them to find the wound that was causing all the bleeding. Had she hurt herself in her sleep....? But, she didn't remember having a nightmare. She stopped as pink water drained from the basin. In fact.... she couldn't really remember any dreams. She remembered eating supper and then going to read.... but, had that been a couple days ago? She'd heard of pregnant women having adverse and very weird reactions once they found out they were pregnant, but she'd never heard of women actually blacking out and forgetting periods of time.

Upon further examination of her hands, Rinoa found that she wasn't bleeding, or even injured in the least. So, then where did the blood come from? Rinoa then looked all over her body to see if the injury was anywhere else besides her hands, but she couldn't see any red wetness. Her heart was starting to beat faster when she couldn't come up with a simple explanation for why her hands had been so covered in blood. Rinoa then tore off her panties, wondering if it was vaginal bleeding. Maybe she really wasn't pregnant... maybe it was aborted. _Oh, Hyne._ Her heart lurched in her chest, but when she took off her underwear, there was no sign of blood. She leaned against the tub, still tasting her heartbeat on her tongue. She rushed into her room and started searching her sheets, but there was nothing to be found there, either.

She sat on the edge of the bed, both sagging in worry, and tense with it as well. Her hand reached for the phone, but she pulled it away and rested clenched fists in her lap, sitting on the edge of the bed in nervous silence, trying to find a memory of what happened to her, but it was a useless attempt. She closed her eyes and massaged her temples, but could only see blackness, and smell flowers somewhere in the distance...

Edea hung up the phone after leaving yet another message on Seifer's machine. She knew he was getting them, but he wasn't making any effort to contact her. She sat in her leather wingback chair and stared off into space for a while. How could she make things right with Seifer again? Things had just completely fallen apart between them. Edea knew a portion of that was because of Ultimecia, but she knew a bigger portion of it was because of the fact that her and Cid had abandoned Seifer, and lied to him for his entire life. They really hadn't 'abandoned' him, but they hadn't been parents to him when he really needed it most.

She looked up when she heard a gentle knocking on the door. She was staying in Cid's rooms at Balamb Garden, so was a little confused. Perhaps Cid just thought she wanted to be alone, and was making sure he wasn't disturbing her. She got out of the chair, which felt like a task too heavy for her to bear, what with the heaviness in her muscles, and more importantly in her heart. But, when she opened the door, she found that it wasn't her husband at all. It was Laguna. She was so glad to see him, and so angry too. The mere sight of his kind, smiling face lifted some of the heaviness in her chest, but it made her mind tense.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, not hiding the accusatory tone of her velvety voice.

"I came to see if you were okay..."

"You came all the way from Esthar for that?" She asked sourly. "You really didn't have to, and quite frankly, that's the lamest excuse I've ever heard, even coming from you, Laguna."

"I needed to see you."

"I told you that I didn't think we should see each other any more." She turned her back to him. "And, I meant it."

"Edea.... please. Don't shut me out like this."

"Do you _want _to break Cid's heart?"

"Of course not," Laguna answered genuinely. "But, I don't want you cut out of my life completely. I still want us to have a relationship, even if it is as only friends. I care about you too much to have let you walk out of Esthar without ever seeing you or talking to you again."

Edea stared at a painting on the wall for a while, not wanting to look at Laguna. "Do you really think we can go back to being 'just friends' though, Laguna?"

"I would like to try. Where is Cid, anyway?"

"His office doing some paperwork. SeeD exams are coming up tomorrow, so there will be a new batch of cadets."

"I wonder if there will be any good ones? Kind of hard to believe that it was actually 10 years ago that Seifer and Squall were students here. I still sort of see Squall as 17." Laguna sat in one of the leather chairs, smiling wistfully.

Edea sat in the chair facing him, though she looked down at her hands. "I still see Seifer as a baby. I still think of him as that little boy who ran around the Orphanage like he owned it." She laughed sadly to herself. "He really could be quite a brat."

"He seems to have matured into a fine man, though."

"Yes...." She looked up into Laguna's caring blue eyes. "You're right. He's become very mature and sensible. True that he still has problems because of what happened with Ultimecia, but he's handling them on his own, and he's trying to straighten himself out. I only wish...." She trailed off with a sigh. "I only wish that Cid and I knew him better. I know him as a little boy, and Cid knows him as a teenager, but neither of us know him as he is now."

"It will take time," Laguna assured, reaching over and patting her knee. "Remember how hard it was for me and Squall? But, we worked it out, and we have a relationship now. I mean.... yeah, it's not the closest relationship, but we're working on it."

"I don't know that Seifer will want to forgive me. There's more to our situation than just abandonment issues. He can only see me as Ultimecia."

"He's just shocked. He thought that his parents had died, or just didn't want him. And, I know that when Squall and I were trying to get to know each other, Rinoa was a big help in making things easier. I'm sure Zell will be the same way for you and Seifer."

She just remained silent, her mouth opening slightly as if she wanted to reply, but she just couldn't. "I know at one point he cared for me, and loved me. But, I don't think he loves me at all now. I'm not a stranger to him, like you were to Squall. I.... Cid and I hurt him deeply."

"He's a grown man now." Laguna got out of his chair and crouched beside Edea in hers. "He will just need time. I know that's a sucky explanation, but it's all I have."

"I know.... and, thank you. I know you're right, Laguna. I really do."

"You just don't see the tunnel for all the lights."

Edea laughed as Laguna stood up and ran his hand through his long hair, grinning.

"I screwed that one up, didn't I?"

"Just a little," she murmured, putting her thumb and forefinger nearly together. "But, that's okay." She stood up and started slowly pacing around the room. "Cid often asks Selphie and Irvine about him, but they don't really see him much. I think it's because him and Zell are trying to avoid any sort of Garden business, especially since Squall is now on the mission with them."

Laguna sighed heavily, coming up behind Edea and putting his hands on her shoulders. "I still don't understand why Squall did that. He's very evasive about it when I try to ask him."

"I think he thought following the rules was best, even if it was an unjust cause." Her shoulders slumped. "Squall and Seifer really are very different, aren't they?"

"Kinda the same in a way, though." One of his hands moved off her shoulder and swept over her hair.

She turned to face him. "Don't....."

"I'm sorry." He dropped his arms to his sides, but was still looking down into Edea's face. She kept looking back up at him, and all those feelings that she'd known were wrong started coming up again. This is why she'd wanted Laguna to stay behind in Esthar, and why she'd wanted to put as much distance as she could between them. No.... they'd been wrong. There was no way that they could go back to being just friends. Her eyes couldn't stop looking at Laguna's mouth, even as it came closer and closer to her. Then, they were kissing. It was as familiar to her as when she was kissing her husband. His arms were so strong and welcoming, and she started kissing him back with intensity. Their hands explored each other's bodies with their hands, which were moving at a pace bordering on madness. It was a kiss born from starvation. They'd only been away from each other for about a week, but it seemed to them like years, now that their lips were pressed together like this again. His hands moved up the front of Edea's blouse, palming her breasts and massaging them. She tugged at his shirttails and pulled them out of his pants, feeling the harness of his erection pressed against her pelvis. She moaned into his mouth, her fists pulling at his shirt hard enough to tear the fabric.

"Hyne, I missed you..." Laguna breathed into her hair. "I missed you so bad."

"Laguna...." She gasped as his hands slipped inside her shirt and touched in under the cups of her bra. She gasped again when she heard a loud clearing of someone's throat. But, the second gasp wasn't from pleasure. She and Laguna both looked to the door to see Cid standing there. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and some papers were dangling between two of his fingers.

"Cid....!" Edea exclaimed quietly, pulling away from Laguna with as much dignity as she could muster, which was zero. Laguna's hands had to slip out of her shirt, and it caused one of her breasts to be exposed. Laguna's shirt was also half-off, and he had a very noticeable erection. "I.... oh Hyne, Cid... I...."

He just stared at them patiently. He wasn't yelling, and he wasn't fuming. He was staring at her with the same look that Seifer had in his eyes when he caught her and Laguna together, and the same look he always had now. That complete look of distrust and disgust in his face, which was so much worse than any tirade he could have gone on.

"I was wondering if something was going on between the two of you. So... has this been going on for years? You two always were very close."

"I.... oh, Cid... I'm so..."

"Sorry?" Cid echoed hollowly, his face very blank of expression. "I'm sure you are, Edea. I know you wouldn't intentionally hurt me."

Edea winced as if Cid had just called her a whore, or had physically assaulted her. Laguna could only turn away until he could command more control of his genitals. He turned his back to them and went out of the room, closing the door behind him, quietly yet firmly.

Zell smiled across the table at Seifer, who was stirring hot chocolate with a chocolate-covered cookie. He loved how handsome Seifer looked with his face just titled _that_ way. Seifer looked up when he felt Zell's foot started to explore up his leg. They were on their first real date, and Zell found that his heart was actually beating quickly, as if he wasn't living with this man, as if he'd never kissed him or fucked him.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Seifer commented, smirking over the rim of his mug.

"Aren't you?" Zell asked, his foot still moving up the inner line of Seifer's leg. He stopped just before he reached Seifer's genitals, teasingly putting his foot back down.

"Yeah...." The smirk turned into a genuine smile. "I am, actually. I haven't been on an actual _date_ in a long time."

"Me neither," Zell admitted. "I like not having to worry about keeping it a secret that I like men. Well... just one man."

"So, what do you want to do next?"

"I don't really care," Zell said.

"We can't just sit here drinking hot chocolate forever."

"I wouldn't mind if we did." Zell reached across the table and took one of Seifer's hands into his own. God, it felt so freeing to be able to hold his boyfriend's hand, to not have to worry that someone from Garden might see him. There was still the worry of just a general bigot or asshole seeing them, but Zell wasn't worried about that at all. He just wanted to leap across the table and hug and kiss Seifer for the entire world to see.

"How about a movie?" Seifer asked after a period of silence. It wasn't one of those awkward pauses that so many dates are plagued with. It was wholly comfortable, and both was just content to sip their drinks and look at each other.

"That would be nice." Zell downed the rest of his drink. "We should probably find a paper to see what's playing."

"Okay. There's a stand on the next street corner." They paid for their drinks and started slowly walking down the sidewalk. Zell smiled when Seifer's arm draped over his shoulder. A few people stared at them, but neither cared. They were in their own little world.

"Let's see....." They stopped at a newsstand and Seifer paid for a local paper and started flipping through it. "What sort of movie are you in the mood for? And, don't say porno." Seifer looked at Zell sidelong.

Zell closed his mouth, because he was indeed going to mention that in jest. He just smiled and sidled closer to Seifer as the taller man kept searching the paper. He stood on his tiptoes and kissed Seifer's cheek and the side of his neck, making a small murmuring noise of delight in the back of his throat.

"Heeeeeyyyyyy! It's the lovebirds!" A cheerful and familiar voice exploded from across the street. Selphie was bouncing up and down like a pogo stick through the crowd, towing Irvine behind her. "What are you doing here?!"

"We _live _here," Seifer replied sardonically.

"I mean _here_!" Selphie exclaimed, pointing to the ground.

"Just went to that cafe, and now we're thinking of going to a movie." Seifer flipped to the next page of the paper. "You?"

"Just taking a break." She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "Things are just _crazzzzzyyyy._ We really could use you."

Zell's smile darkened a little. "Oh, really? I thought Squall was helping you now."

"He is...." Selphie trailed off, her face also clouding.

"Squall's doing a good job. It's just we could use the extra manpower. The Blackballers thing is starting to get under control, but there's this fear in their wake. I guess that's something that Diablos wanted all along."

"I don't want to talk about Squall," Zell snapped, crossing his arms. He was no longer in a friendly mood, or even a date mood for that matter.

"Sorry..." Selphie apologized. "Well, do you wanna double for the movies?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, sure...." Zell trailed off, looking up at Seifer. "Is that okay?"

"I don't mind," Seifer murmured quietly, smiling softly. He gave Zell a look that while Selphie and Irvine were standing right there, it was a very private exchange. It made Zell's heart beat a little faster, and it made him feel warm and mushy all the way down to his toes.

"Errr, maybe we shouldn't." She gave them a wink and nudged Irvine. "I think we'd just be in the way."

"No, you wouldn't." Seifer closed the paper and tucked it under one arm. "We'd just ignore you."

"Oh, that's really nice," Selphie muttered, pretending to be offended. "So, let's go. Irvine and I will just pretend that we don't know you and make-out."

"Can I have popcorn first?"

"I don't care."

"Well, you'd be buying it...."

"What? Noooo way."

Seifer and Zell just ignored Selphie and Irvine's bickering, walking a few lengths behind them. Their hands twined together, and they walked with their sides pressed flush. Zell felt like giggling because he was so happy. The down feeling that had come about when Selphie mentioned Squall's name vanished when he was this close to Seifer. They were rather complacent at times when they were both back at the house, but being out together like this was just so new and gratifying. They stopped when Seifer's cellular phone rang. Ever since radio connections had been brought back after Adel's tomb fell from space, people had fallen in love with every kind of electronic communication, which included not only email and telephone, but also portable communication of any form.

Seifer pulled the phone out of his pocket, and Zell saw his face brighten. "Who is it...?"

"Fujin's number." Seifer put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Seifer...." Her voice came through quietly, as if she was far away.

"Fujin....? I can barely hear you." His ear was then filled with a spine-chilling laughter. Seifer knew it wasn't Diablos's laugh, but it reminded him greatly of the demon's laugh. "Fujin?!" Seifer exclaimed. Selphie and Irvine stopped, hearing the worry in Seifer's voice.

"Seifer....?" Zell asked. "What's wrong?"

"Where are you?" Seifer demanded, but the line went dead. "Fujin?! Dammit."

"What?" Selphie asked, worried. "What did she say?"

"Nothing. She said my name, and then I heard this laughter..." Seifer pressed redial, but got a message that made his heard run cold. That the line could not be reached. "Shit, shit, shit."

"What now.....?"

Seifer pressed a few buttons on the phone. "I'm going to her location. Fuck."

"Not alone you're not," Zell ground out as he and Seifer moved towards where he'd parked his truck.

"What location?!" Selphie called out.

"The Ocean Drive off-ramp to the Galbadia Highway!" Seifer said without looking back at them.

Selphie pulled her own phone out of her bag and dialled Squall's number.

"What are you doing?!" Irving demanded. "We gotta go!"

"Calling Squall," she muttered. "Hey, it's Selphie. We got a problem."

Squall's end was silent, but Selphie knew he'd heard her.

"We think Fujin's in big shit trouble, man. She called Seifer, and..."

"You were with Seifer?"

"Focus, Squall!!" She yelled into the phone. "We think Diablos is doing some _very nefarious_ things right now! He might be hurting Fujin. Seifer and Zell got a location from his phone, so we're going there now. We need you to help."

Squall was silent for a moment, but Selphie knew that mentioning Zell's name would stir something in Squall. It's not like Squall would have just sat back and let something bad happen to Fujin, but mentioning Zell's name was the kick in the ass that Selphie knew he needed.

"Where?"

"You know where the Ocean Drive off-ramp to Galbadia Highway is?"

"Yeah." He hung up.

"So?" Irvine asked.

"He's on his way." Selphie put her phone in her bag. "C'mon, we have to go. Fujin..... she could be in really big trouble."

"What if she's dead when we get there....?" Irvine asked. It was a question that was playing in Selphie's mind as she got behind the wheel of their car, but it was a question that she hadn't wanted to pose. She quickly took some side streets to get out of some slow traffic, and found herself on Ocean Drive. A few car lengths up ahead, she recognized Seifer's truck. Not only because she knew what it looked like, but because he was driving like a maniac. Selphie could easily keep up, because she also drove like a maniac on normal days.

Selphie didn't have to wonder what was going on. The Ocean Drive off-ramp sort of wound around the back of a farmer's field. The field was full of bodies writhing. The windows were down in the car, and Selphie immediately had to roll them up because of the smell. This wasn't a smell that came from alive people. All those people that looked like a big pile of writhing limbs smelled like they were dead. A few were walking around, but some looked like they couldn't move based on rot, or broken and disjointed limbs. Seifer's truck had stopped ahead of them, and he had gotten out of the car, Zell beside him. Selphie dashed over to them, covering her mouth and nose with her forearm. "Hyne, it reeks. What's happening?"

"They all look.... dead...." Zell looked away, the stench stinging his eyes. The ones that were still walking around weren't paying them much attention, and were focused at something off in the distance. By the off-ramp, things had gotten very dark. It had been a relatively nice afternoon in town, but out here, it was like it was night. But, it felt too unnatural to be real night.

"I think they are," Seifer said quietly. "This may be what Diablos was up to."

"How did they all get here?" Irvine asked. He'd pulled out his gun, and was holding it out in front of him. While the bodies were twitching like they were on their last breaths, he didn't trust them at all. He raised his gun when someone came staggering out of the mess that looked like it belonged in the deepest parts of hell. Zell's whole body clenched, and he couldn't help it when he protectively moved to stand in front of Seifer, as if Seifer _actually _needed the protection. The taller man gently moved Zell out of the way, staring at this staggering person coming towards him. Selphie let out a gasp, and Zell cursed under his breath. It was Fujin. At least she seemed alive.

When she got closer, Irvine gasped and Selphie cried out "Holy Hyne!" Fujin's eye was glittering black, and her skin looked very sweaty and greyish in colour.

"Fujin...." Seifer said. The way he said her name was just filled with so much pain. "No."

"I can hear him...." She whispered in a voice that didn't seem her own. It was her voice to be sure, but the tone seemed all wrong. The spidery whisper didn't belong with her voice. "I can feel him...."

"God, Fujin." Seifer dashed across the road and seized her shoulders. "Where did you get it from?!"

"I'm part of him."

"Why?!" Seifer demanded, his voice shaking in a way that broke Zell's heart. A car's tires squealed nearby, and Squall quickly came running. "_Why_?!" Seifer asked her again, shaking her.

"The roads are all blocked off," Squall informed them. "Overturned cars and fires, that sort of thing..." He looked over to Seifer and Fujin, and saw the blackness of her eye in the dim light. "Blackball...." Squall looked up to the black sky when he saw movement. It was a great pair of wings, and he would have thought it was Diablos, but that wasn't the case. While this was a demon that resembled the Dark Messenger in form, it wasn't truly him.

"It looks like one of those creatures from Daeva's mansion," Selphie hissed under her breath, her own weapon also getting pulled out.

"Seifer, if only you knew."

Seifer shook his head and looked into Fujin's sweaty face, but her lips hadn't moved. He'd been so concentrated on her that he hadn't noticed that someone else came out of the field. With Fujin, it was obvious that she was still alive. The same couldn't be said for Raijin. True, he was up and walking around, but he didn't look... right. There was also the fact that Seifer still dreamed every night of ending his former friend's life. While Blackball had made Fujin's face a pale pallor, Raijin looked positively ashen, and his eyes were milky with decay. But, he was still articulate, and those milky eyes did still show the intelligence of brain function.

"Fujin knows now, ya know?! She knows what I know, what all these gifted children know. But...I also know what a traitor you are, that you're the one that destroyed everything. He doesn't only tell me beautiful things, but also the ugly truth, even if it's about you."

"The ugly truth is that you're a puppet," Seifer hissed. Fujin slumped, and he gently let her down to the road. Selphie ran across the highway and helped bring Fujin towards the car. "You're Diablos's whore, and he uses you whenever he sees fit."

"Oh, the way you were a puppet to Ultimecia, ya know?!"

"That's _exactly_ how I know!" Seifer shouted, pulling out his hunting knives. He hadn't brought Hyperion on what was supposed to be a nice date with Zell, but he never went anywhere without his small knives. "I know more than anyone what it's like to be someone's pawn and to be their bitch, and you're more Diablos's puppet than I was ever Ultimecia's."

"I'm blessed by his voice!" Raijin hissed, advancing towards Seifer. He had a wicked looking steel pole in his hands that was sharp and jagged on one end. The smell rolling off him was intense.

"You're dead!!" Seifer yelled back.

"You should know, ya know?!" Raijin got into a crouching stance that was achingly familiar of old days gone by at Garden. "You were the one that killed me, ya know?! Think you have the balls to do it again, _Xar-voth kullerah?"_


	14. Chapter 14

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Fourteen

"Hyne, we gotta help him..." Zell started to move to the spot on the empty highway where Seifer and the newly alive Raijin were facing each other down.

"No!" Squall grabbed Zell from behind, around the shoulders. "Don't."

Zell jerked away from Squall, shoving him backwards so Squall slammed against the side of Selphie's rental car. "Get your fucking hands off me," Zell hissed, his hands balled into tight fists.

"Not now!" Selphie exclaimed, casting some support magic on Seifer. She then stumbled as Fujin slumped to the ground, muttering in Diablos's language to herself, a sickeningly serene smile on her lips. "Fujin? Can you hear me?"

"You think you can kill me again?" Raijin asked.

"There's no 'again', Raijin. You're not alive this time."

"I'm breathing, aren't I?"

Seifer squared his shoulders. He couldn't listen to what Raijin was saying especially not when it sounded so much like him still. His voice was still his own, his mannerisms were still so very Raijin, so Seifer couldn't let these taunts affect him, especially because he knew he would have to kill his best friend for the second time. He had to convince himself that it was a blessing to kill Raijin, because he wasn't himself anymore, even though he looked and sounded like himself. Raijin swung out with the jagged steel pipe he was armed with before Seifer was really ready. He reared his head back, but wasn't quite fast enough. One of the edges of the broken pipe cut across Seifer's cheek. Seifer could tell as soon as it happened that it was a very deep cut, and blood went flying from his cheek, splattering on the asphalt with an audible noise.

"Seifer!" Zell exclaimed, taking a few steps forward.

"No!" Seifer shouted, slicing at Raijin with his hunting knives. "Stay the fuck out of it, Dincht."

"Holy shit!" Selphie exclaimed. "Guys, help!" Fujin started convulsing in Selphie's arms. "Help me hold her... she's having a fit."

Irvine stayed standing, which Selphie didn't chide him for. He had the best eye, so was keeping an eye on the field where all the bodies were piled, starting to move more. Zell crouched down and helped Selphie hold Fujin's convulsing body down, also trying to keep an eye on Seifer.

"I hope everyone finally sees what a liar and traitor you are."

"I've come to terms with what I've done. You throwing those words around won't work this time."

Raijin laughed quietly, and while he still sounded like himself, his laugh did not. "That's okay, ya know?! I can just kill you without any chit-chat." He swung the pipe out again, but Seifer was quicker on his toes this time. He dodged out of the way, feeling the wind of the pipe passing his ear. He sliced out again with his knife, but Raijin was unnaturally quick on his toes, and Seifer's knife missed landing a fatal blow, and only getting Raijin's ear. He sliced through it, and Seifer's former friend howled, but it didn't slow him down. He didn't seem to feel the pain much. Perhaps his magical resurrection bypassed the idea of pain.

"Nice shot, but you'll have to do better." Raijin laughed his demonic, unnatural cackle. He hit Seifer across the face again, blood pouring into Seifer's left eye from a cut the jagged end of the pipe made. Seifer heard Zell shout his name, but he didn't pay attention. He couldn't be distracted by Zell's voice, because hearing him would make Seifer worry, and he couldn't concentrate on worrying, not when this task was before him.

"Squall!!" Selphie shouted. Squall was still leaning against the truck, his back sore because of the force Zell had shoved him with. "Squall!"

He looked over, having been transfixed by Seifer and Raijin circling each other.

"We need you on guard. Irvine can't watch them all." Fujin was still having a seizure, screaming out words that they couldn't understand. Maybe it wasn't even Diablos's language, and it was just gibberish. Selphie and Zell both restrained her limbs, and she seemed to settle down, mewling in what sounded like pain.

Seifer and Raijin spoke no more to each other. They'd said all that needed to be said, and now it was just a matter of ending it. They knew that it wouldn't be over until one was dead, and Seifer couldn't dwell on that it was Raijin. He just looked at him like any other monster, because that's what he was now, just disguised in the glove of Raijin's body. Seifer was flung backwards, tumbling across the pavement when Raijin got him with a paralysing blow to the gut. He rolled away just as Raijin wound up to smash his head across the road. The steel pipe bit into the concrete with a loud smash, and Seifer used the chance in Raijin's downswing to slash at his knee. Raijin's leg crumpled under him, but he got up again. Seifer tried to slash at his Achilles tendon, but Raijin moved away. As he was getting up, the pipe came across his back. Seifer howled in pain as he heard a crack within him. It was one of his ribs, and he felt a sharp, sudden jabbing pain in his kidney.

"Seifer!" Zell stood up and ran towards the fight, being held back by Squall once more.

"It's too dangerous."

"FUCK YOU!" Zell screamed, trying to yank his arm out of Squall's grip. He then punched his former best friend in the face and ran towards Seifer, shoving Raijin out of the way as he repeatedly beat Seifer's back with the pipe, each blow landing on the tall blonde's body with an awful noise.

A demonic laugh filled the air as Zell punched Raijin in the face, kicking him in the kneecap as he reeled back. But, Raijin's grip on the steel pipe didn't lessen. Irvine raised his gun and started searching the sky, which had gotten blacker and blacker. Irvine shot into the air when he thought he saw the movement of wings among the swirling clouds. Fujin started shouting at Selphie, flailing her limbs and trying to attack her. Selphie easily held her weak motions down, and it broke her heart to see the normally strong and proud woman so reduced to this.

Squall rubbed his jaw and pulled out Lionheart, a little dizzy because being punched by Zell Dincht was never something that someone just took and turned the other cheek to. Squall was just lucky he hadn't been knocked unconscious. He stumbled around for a few steps, but then collected himself. His eyes started searching the blackness, but there was also the problem that the mass of writhing Blackballers was starting to get a little more mobile. A few of them were up on their feet, and Seifer and Zell were both occupied. Seifer may not have been SeeD at all, but he was damn good in a fight, and Squall would have felt better with some more manpower.

Zell hit Raijin in the face with a good two-punch combo which reeled him backwards, but he was still fucking going. He had unnatural stamina from whatever Diablos's black magic had done to him. Seifer was trying to get up, but Zell was very worried about the sounds that he was making. He was coughing, and each hack sounded very wet. He could also see that Seifer was spitting up blood. He rolled onto his back, but screamed in pain. Seifer had been injured many times before, so he could diagnose at least a little what was wrong with him. Bruised kidneys, a few broken ribs, a bruised spine which was possibly cracked. Maybe he also had a separated shoulder, and his lungs also seemed to have some damage. There was also a concussion, and maybe a cracked orbital bone. Seifer finally got to his feet, and heard Zell yelp in pain, and saw Raijin rushing him. He slashed out with his knives again, and the blade bit deeply into Raijin's stomach, but the successful blow came at a price. Raijin's pipe came crashing into his kneecap, and Seifer screamed in pain as it shattered. He crumpled down, and felt the knife that wasn't in Raijin's stomach being yanked out of his hand.

Zell was bleeding from a cut over his eye, but he'd heard the awful scream coming from Seifer as his kneecap was broken. There was no way that he was going to let anyone or anything cause Seifer to make that kind of noise, not while he still breathed. He ran towards Raijin, pulling the knife out of his hand as he writhed on the ground, screaming in agony as Raijin smashed the pipe down across his throat. Blood came spurting from Seifer's lips, and then he was being rained down on by it as Zell slit Raijin's throat from behind. Zell had never really killed someone with a blade before. It felt alien to him. Raijin spurted and gurgled, and then fell dead on top of Seifer. His limbs twitched a little, but then he stilled.

"Seifer!" Zell exclaimed, kicking Raijin out of the way. "Fuck... are you okay?" He leaned down and looked into Seifer's eyes. "Can you hear me? Can you talk?"

"I'll live," Seifer hissed out, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. Even those two small words caused him an excruciating amount of pain.

Zell wrapped his arms around Seifer to hug him in relief, but jerked and reared back when Seifer screamed. Even that gentle contact was too much for his shattered ribs and separated shoulder.

"Head's up!" Irvine shouted as a form appeared closer in the sky. From far away, it did appear to be Diablos, but when it landed near them on the pavement, glaring at them with yellow eyes, they knew it wasn't the Summon. Zell knew that it was a Varuna from the picture he'd seen in that archaeological magazine on the train. Selphie cast a strong sleep spell on Fujin so she wouldn't be an issue for the time being. As Zell stood to face the Varuna Ulurha, Selphie ran across the road to where Seifer was. She started casting various magic on him. It wouldn't cure him, but it could at least ease his pain until he could get to a hospital.

"Guys!" She shouted from her kneeled position beside Seifer, who while he was still breathing with some difficulty, he at least wasn't moaning in pain with every natural motion his body made. She looked over at where all the writhing Blackballers had been. They were starting to move at an alarming rate, and some were even starting to walk their way. It wasn't like watching some zombie movie, because each Blackballer was moving with a purpose, and each one smelled terrible. It was the stench of death that was washing over them like a wave. Their eyes were all glittering black, and she heard a loud bang as Irvine shot at the demon.

Squall saw what Selphie was shouting about, and closed his eyes. He quickly summoned Shiva, and started moving towards the throngs of Blackballers who were starting to move with grace they'd probably never had as humans. They were being fuelled by ancient black magic, just like Raijin had been. Squall didn't have to tell Shiva what to do. As soon as she saw Diablo's minion, she knew exactly why she'd been summoned. Though, she couldn't feel Daeva's magic in the air. So, he was seeking any loophole he could around Bahamut's anger. That was so typically him. Her icy gaze targeted Ulurha, who just stared back at her with a smile on his demonic visage.

Selphie didn't want to leave Seifer still so injured, but she couldn't let Squall and Irvine fight all those Blackballers alone. "I'll be back," she whispered gently to Seifer, who was still breathing heavily, clutching at his chest, which was still burning like he was on fire. She dashed after Squall, who was moving to the front lines of the wave of attackers. Zell was still crouched beside Seifer, holding his hand and looking down at him with worry.

"Zell, come on!" Irvine shouted. He was standing back, sniping at their opponents. They were all also trying to keep an eye on what was going on between Shiva and Ulurha, but the ice Queen could obviously hold her own. While Varunas were intensely powerful and old, they were nothing compared to the likes of her. Squall cut through as many Blackballers as he could find with Lionheart. Selphie and Zell joined him in the fray. Selphie whipped her nunchaku around, also backing up her attacks with magic that took three or four of them out of commission at a time. Zell fought with an intense, angry fervour brought on by the fact that Seifer was now laying in the grass in intense pain, his leg bent at the wrong angle and still spitting up blood, even after Selphie's round of curative magic. They were starting to trip over the bodies of re-dead Blackballers, but more were still coming. Squall found himself knocked down by one from behind, the smell making him want to throw up. He tried to slash with his gunblade, but he was pinned at a bad angle. He then felt the warmth of a fire spell, and expected to see Selphie standing behind him, but it wasn't her who had saved his ass. It was Seifer, actually standing, even with his broken knee. His face was sweaty and ashen, splattered with blood he'd spit up. He was casting fire magic and using his hunting knives. It was obvious that he was in _extreme _pain, and that each step was enough for him to pray for death, but he wasn't giving up. Squall could only watch in complete amazement that Seifer would even bother.

__

You think you can stand up against me, little demon? Shiva asked calmly

__

Your powers don't frighten me, nor do they amaze me.

They should frighten you. Your Master isn't here to protect you.

The clouds swirled in the sky as Ulurha moved closer to Shiva. They were circling each other, both levitating a little off the ground. The air around Shiva was getting colder, and while she knew that this Varuna was one of Diablos's most powerful minions, his power meant little to her, and the fact that Daeva would be mad also meant little to her. Squall had called her to help, and she didn't want to refuse him, but Ulurha had also challenged her, and insulted her, so she didn't care about the repercussions with Diablos.

__

I don't need my master here. Ulurha's wings spread out wide, making him appear much larger than his actual size. _I am more than a match for you._

Shiva just smirked and made an amused noise, deciding to put this impudent creature in his place, but a wave of black magic hit her with such force that she stumbled backwards. Her, the great Ice Queen, ancient among the Ancients. Ulurha laughed and took to the skies, his grey scaled body blending into the swirling, chaotic clouds.

"Don't worry about the demon!" Irvine shouted, his eyes still darting everywhere, occasionally a bullet exploding from his gun, sending a Blackballer flying backwards. Had so many of them really died and been brought back? The amount was staggering. "We're gonna get swallowed up here!"

Zell, Selphie and Squall had all been indeed watching Ulurha and Shiva square off, but Irvine's shout brought their attention back to where it should have been. Seifer was concentrating only on the Blackballers around him, though his face had gone beyond white to a sickly grey, and he was covered in sweat, his brow furrowed and face tight in what was _obvious _physical pain. But, he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. If he stopped, that meant that it was real, that Fujin was laying on the ground, twitching in the downward slide from a Blackball high, and that Raijin was really dead again, that Diablos's ancient magic had cruelly brought him back only to be killed again. And, it was the same with all these Blackballers that fell under Seifer's hunting knives and fire spells. They'd all gone down the same road as Raijin. They'd had lives before, and had gotten addicted, merely because they were pawns to Diablos, part of some game that was a passing fancy to him. They'd also died, not all by Seifer's hands, but died all the same. Some of them may have committed suicide out of the deep depression that came from Blackball withdrawal. Some of them may have been killed by the Timber Police, or by each other in fits of anger when the drug had been in shortage. If Seifer stopped, he would think about all those things, and it would make him weak to Diablos, and to them. He couldn't think about that stuff, because none of it really applied anymore. These were no longer poor, desperate souls who just lost their way. They were monsters, the same as he fought all the time. They had to be. They had to be.

The others were so wrapped up in trying to save their own asses to notice what anyone else was doing, save Selphie. Since she was the strongest magically, she was working on keeping the others alive, but also trying to fight. She wasn't some poor little miss who had to stand on the sidelines, and could give it as well as the guys could. But, because everyone else was so concentrated on not dying to wave after wave of Blackballers (where the hell did they all come from?), she was really the only one who noticed that if there was a contest to see who had the highest body-count, Seifer would be winning. He looked as pale and brutal as the Blackballers, so Selphie just couldn't understand where his drive was coming from. Maybe Seifer didn't understand, either.

As Squall cut through the undead Blackballers with Lionheart, his eyes briefly kept looking over to Zell, who literally had his hands full with his own battles. His head was still spinning from the punch Zell had given him, and Squall didn't understand it. He didn't understand why Zell would get so mad about Squall doing the right thing and trying to protect him. Seifer had obviously wanted to face Raijin one-on-one. Why couldn't Zell just understand Squall wanting to do the right thing for _everyone_? Squall was jerked into focus by the loud sound of a gunshot. Irvine was standing very near him, giving him a horrified look.

"Squall, fucking pay attention. You could have gotten gutted."

Squall looked down at the body of the Blackballer who had been about to attack him. They were holding what looked like a broken piece of metal in their hand, and it was wickedly jagged. He just nodded at Irvine as they thinned out the crowd. Occasionally, they were all caused to turn their heads by a loud crack of magic from the fight between Shiva and Diablos's minion.

Shiva had icicles hanging from her elbows and wrists, as well as jagged shards of ice where Ulurha's razor-sharp claws had cut her. Shiva's blood froze instantly once it left her body. Ulurha was also bleeding, his blood that was blacker than even the night around them dripping onto the road. One of his wings was bent at the wrong angle from his back, but Shiva now knew that it had been incorrect of her to write off Ulurha's powers, especially when she of all beings knew that age did play an important part in the power of one's magic. Shiva actually found it hard to breathe because of all the pressure of Ulurha's magic. While his powers did differ from Daeva's, there was a distinct similarity. She could gauge how to fight him because of her knowledge of Daeva's powers in the black arts of necromancy and gravity magic. She shot out a rain of ice shards above her head, Ulurha screaming in a high-pitched wailing as they stabbed him. He fell from the sky with a loud thud, Shiva throwing her most powerful ice magic at him. It had been a while since she'd been in such a long battle, and grew weary of it. She shot out more ice shards at Ulurha, but was flung backwards with force by a wall of thick gravity magic. She fell amongst a pile of bodies, their dead limbs immediately becoming caked with ice upon contact with her skin. She became momentarily tangled up, and it gave Ulurha a chance to attack her. His claws dug into her throat, and a spurt of blood immediately froze as it came spewing from her neck, leaving a sharp icicle sticking up.

Shiva flung a thick dagger of ice out from her palm, getting Ulurha in the left side of his face. He squealed and jerked off her, his spindly, clawed hands going up to his face, trying to pull out the large spike. Shiva kicked the demon in the face and thrust Diamond Dust out on him. Ulurha screamed and wailed as the ancient power of Shiva's ice magic froze him in a case of icicles. She didn't stop until she could no longer hear his screeching, because demons were notoriously tricky, especially demons that learned all they know from Diablos. She stared down at his frozen form, at his wings folded down on his back, his mouth open in a scream. She created a large shard of ice in her palm, and flung it at Ulurha's frozen body. He splintered and shattered like a broken mirror, and she turned her back and started to walk towards Squall. But, she actually _limped_ as she did so. Her, the great Ice Queen, millions of years old, was limping from a fight with a lesser demon.

Squall felt a pull in his abdomen as Shiva's powers disappeared into his body. Lionheart sliced through the chest of an approaching Blackballer, and Squall looked around to see that most of them were littering the ground in twisted piles of limbs. Zell was giving a fierce kick to the face of one that fell with a loud noise of cracking cartilage and teeth. Selphie was already running back across the road to where they'd left Fujin, sliding to her knees on the asphalt to check on her. Irvine's eyes were still darting around to check to see if there was another ambush in the works. Seifer stabbed the last standing one in the kidneys with his hunting knives. When it fell to his feet, Seifer wobbled, like a person who'd just woken up from sleepwalking, and then he collapsed. He didn't fall to his knees and then fully to the ground. He just _fell._

Zell had been so wrapped up in fighting that he hadn't really noticed Seifer attacking Blackballers with them, but he'd sure noticed the way Seifer had just fallen like a tree cut down. "Seifer!" He exclaimed, running to the other man's position, kicking some corpses out of the way so he could kneel beside his lover. "Seifer!" He called again. Zell tore off one of his bloody gloves with his teeth, and touched Seifer's face with his bare palm. "Shit, he's burning up. Seifer?!" Zell leaned over the other man, letting out a strangled cry of frustration. "Seifer!? SELPHIE!" He shouted, knowing that she was by far the best mage out of them.

She came jogging over, looking down at him. "Shit..." She started casting some protective magic on him. "I dunno _what_ he was thinking," she chastised quietly. "He was too hurt to get up, let alone fight."

"What were you thinking, you moron?" Zell whispered into Seifer's ear, wiping some blood off his too pale cheeks, which were also damp with sweat.

"That knee doesn't look good," Selphie pointed out gravely, rising to a standing position. "We better get him and Fujin to a hospital. Fast. You should probably carry Seifer, since I think he's a little too heavy for me. I'll get Fujin."

Zell nodded and put his glove back on so he wouldn't lose it. Zell was definitely strong enough to pick Seifer up, who was pretty heavy because of his height and muscle mass, but it was a little awkward because of Seifer's long limbs, and the fact that Zell was much smaller, and he also wanted to be gentle because Seifer was so injured. He whispered things in Seifer's ear even though he was passed out. Zell was sure that Seifer could hear him, though. He really was just whispering nonsense, or saying things like 'you're going to be okay', followed by various terms of affection. Fujin was starting to rouse, muttering things under her breath in Diablos's black language. Selphie cast another strong sleep spell on her as she buckled the unconscious woman into the car. Zell did the same with Seifer, constantly stroking his hair and kissing the side of his face, his own face creased with worry. Selphie got behind the wheel, Irvine going in Squall's car with him so he could still keep a lookout for any incoming attacks. It was a very slow and tense ride to the hospital, everyone on edge, and wondering what Diablos's next attack would bring.

It was merely a day after Ulurha's death at Shiva's hands when Bahamut called a council to the replicated throne-room built from his memory and magic. He put a barrier around his realm so that no member of the court could change into their original form. Etanin very well knew that this was going to be a volatile meeting, and he wanted to restrict everyone's powers as much as he could, save his own. He didn't use his powers often, so sometimes even members of the Ancient court forgot how strong Bahamut really was, and why he was their ruler, and today would be a reminder, for all attendees of the meeting would know that in a second, Bahamut could come to full form and completely obliterate them while they were weakened.

He was sitting at the head of the table, sitting casually with his legs crossed and his fingers tented before him. There were a lot of nervous faces. Parminder still had cuts on her human face from the injuries she'd received in true form. Bahamut had laid out on the table what the meaning of this meeting was already; that only a member of this court could have gotten through Daeva's barriers to kill Nha'zora, and Bahamut wanted answers. There was also the matter of Ulurha's death at Shiva's hands. Daeva was sitting across the table from her, fidgeting. His face showed no nerves, only livid rage. His lips were white and his eyes were on fire with it. Parminder just stared back. She knew what she'd done, and it was Ulurha's own fault for attacking her, and she also knew that she was innocent on the Nha'zora issue.

"Come on!" Daeva shouted at her. "Why don't you just fucking admit it?"

"Because I have nothing to admit," Parminder replied coolly.

"You murdered Ulurha, you bitch!" Daeva yelled, vaulting onto the table. He got his hands around her throat and started throttling her. She cursed at him and also started to physically attack him. Kwar Mbarba, the human form of Doomtrain, grabbed Parminder in his powerful arms and pulled her away from Daeva's hands, which had left an ugly purple necklace of bruises around her throat. Etanin had one arm flung across Daeva's chest and pulled him back.

"This won't solve anything Berith," Etanin whispered in his ear. Daeva struggled against his arm to try and attack Parminder again. "Stop it."

"She murdered my Varuna," Daeva whispered unhappily. "You fucking _bitch!"_ He tried to struggle against Etanin again. "_Vahr dullarth xharvax di mol parvbarcxha!"_

As Daeva screamed at Parminder, who was also shouting obscenities at Daeva, Etanin looked over the top of the fey's head to Alexander, who was still sitting in his usual spot at the table, watching the whole thing with a blank expression on his face. He felt Etanin's gaze on him, and stared back. Alexander looked questioningly at his King, his face showing nothing. But, Etanin kept staring at him, his gaze never wavering, always like a laser right through Alexander's body. Eventually, the priest had to look away from such an intense glare, but even with his face turned away, Alexander could still feel Etanin's eyes on him.

"This isn't helping anything, Berith," Etanin whispered into Daeva's ear.

"She murdered my Varuna," Daeva whispered back, his voice sounding like he was on the verge of tears.

"Because your Varuna attacked her. And, there is no proof that it was she who killed Nha'zora."

Daeva let out a frustrated noise of pure rage and pushed Etanin away from him. He threw his heavy oak chair against the wall, smashing it, and stormed off. Daeva knew the layout of this castle well, even if it only existed within their realm of magic, and thus knew where he was going.

Parminder looked angrily to Etanin. "I don't have to defend myself to you, but I don't know what the hell he's talking about. I killed his Varuna because his Varuna tried to kill me."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Parminder." Etanin crossed his arms casually. "Yes, Daeva's Varuna attacked you, and you had to kill him. Daeva would have been angry anyway, but with this whole Nha'zora thing..." He trailed off, his eyes looking over to Alexander once more.

She disentangled from Kwar, and nodded at him. "My Lord, you keep Daeva away from me, at least until he's acting rationally." She huffed and disappeared.

"I don't really think this helped anything," Manannan said quietly.

"It got everything out in the open," Etanin answered. "You may all leave if you wish, but just note that I'll be keeping an eye on things." He stared at Alexander once more before the priest vanished, rather quickly too. Manannan, however, remained.

"I see it on your face, Etanin. What are you thinking?" He cocked his head in a child-like manner. "You suspect Alexander, don't you?"

"There's no proof."

Manannan laughed, his legs swinging in the air as he sat on the edge of the table. "Since when has that stopped you from punishing someone?" His blue, blue eyes trailed along the courtroom, noting all the weapons hanging on the wall. Each was cleaned to a bright polish now, but in their days, every single one of those weapons had been drenched in blood at one time or another, the blood of people receiving punishment at his hands.

"These aren't mortals we're dealing with here, though. I have to tread carefully."

"But, if it had been Alexander that had broken through Daeva's barriers, Daeva most certainly would have known."

"I know. This is why I'm unsure. But, the motive definitely fits in Alexander's case."

"I'm sure you'll do what you think is best...." Manannan trailed off, really not sure what to say.

"You don't have to tread lightly, Manannan. You think that I'll just automatically blame Alexander because of my lack of friendship with him, and my closeness with Daeva."

"I do think that."

"This is why I want to be sure. I don't want there to be any doubt that I'm going after the correct person."

"Daeva can at least take consolation in the fact that he caused massive chaos and destruction in Timber." Manannan shrugged as his body disappeared from the tabletop. "At least that's something, I suppose."

Etanin started at the now empty table for a while. The meeting really had done very little, if you weren't looking in the right place. Most of the court would have thought that it was a complete waste of time, but it hadn't been for Etanin. He'd called the most powerful of them there to study their reactions to his questions, and to Daeva's anger. He'd known that Daeva would lose his temper. There was more to being powerful than simply throwing your magical weight around. There was patience, watchfulness and sneakiness, all of which Etanin had used, rather than command an answer through fear tactics. He'd studied each of their reactions when they'd been in their weakest forms, and it was Alexander's _lack_ of reaction that had spoken the loudest. He walked through the halls of his old castle, his old home. Etanin's footsteps echoed in the empty hallways, his shadow cast in the form of a dragon by the flickering candles in their sconce holders. Every detail was the same as it had been when he was alive, including the portraits on the wall in this hallway. Portraits of his past wives, and including one of Thuban as a grown woman. The wives meant very little to him, all having died at the hands of his executioners, including Thuban's mother. But, Thuban still stirred something in him, though he tried to purge her from every realm of his existence.

"You should have let me tear her apart..." Daeva muttered. Etanin had come into his chambers to find Daeva flopped on an exquisitely upholstered sofa, already on his fourth glass of brandy. He hadn't spoken for a while, even though he'd known Etanin had been standing there for a while.

"You should have controlled yourself," Etanin chastised.

"Oh, fuck you!" Daeva shouted, throwing a pillow at Etanin. "My Varunas are dead, Eta...." Daeva trailed off, and he sounded very lost. He slumped down, the empty brandy snifter rolling out of his hands and falling onto the carpet without breaking.

"I know." Etanin sat down on the sofa beside Daeva. "I promised you I'd find answers. It just doesn't happen overnight."

"She did it," Daeva hissed. He would have transformed at that moment in his anger if it weren't for Etanin's barriers. "Shiva fucking did it, Eta!"

"Stop it," he commanded quietly, grabbing Daeva's wrists to make him sit still. When Daeva tried to rage again, Etanin commanded "Stop it" in a sterner voice. "You have to keep yourself calm."

"That's easy for you to say!" Daeva exclaimed angrily. But, when he spoke next, it was in a very quiet and sad voice. "My Varunas have been with me for so long... they've always been there, they were the only ones who were always there, who were always on my side." Daeva didn't say that with accusation, though Etanin knew it was a valid point. He may have been fiercely loyal to Daeva, but he wasn't always on his side. Daeva angrily turned his face away, because he felt something stinging at his eyes that he hadn't felt in a long time, and a long time for someone his age _really_ was a long time. Tears. He hated himself for crying, because it made him feel weak. He was the Dark Messenger. He wasn't supposed to cry like this. A tear slid down his cheek, and he felt Etanin's fingers brush hair off his cheek, tucking it behind his pointed fey ear.

"Ulurha loved me," Daeva whispered as another tear trickled down his face. "He loved me."

"He loved your power," Etanin whispered into Daeva's fragrant hair.

"It was still love, My Lord."

Etanin traced the pointed line of Daeva's ear, then whispered something to him that was too intimate to repeat. Daeva started quietly crying at those words, because nobody had spoken to him like that in his entire lifetime. Eta had never even said something like that before. When Etanin's arms wrapped around Daeva from behind, whispering those too personal words again, Daeva didn't feel weak about crying.

Seifer groaned in pain when he woke up on the third day of being in the Timber hospital. He'd been under since the fight with the resurrected Blackballers. As soon as he woke up, he noticed that he needed to shave, but also that his whole body felt _sore_. His knee and back were absolutely killing him, and his torso felt like it had been beaten with a sack of doorknobs. He groaned and rubbed his head, wincing when his fingers touched his forehead. Not because of his head, but because of his fingers. He blearily looked at his hand and saw a couple of his fingers were bandaged. Everything was blurry, so he searched the side table for his glasses, but the touch of it felt weird. He looked around and noticed he wasn't in his bedroom.

__

Hospital.

He tried to sit up, but that was just too much effort, and caused him to make a mewling noise of pain.

"Do you need me to call the doctor?" A voice asked, sounding disjointed to the still groggy Seifer.

He looked around, and saw Cid standing at the foot of his bed, his shirt looking rumpled, even to Seifer's bad vision.

He tried to speak, but only a coarse sound came out. He gently touched his neck, and felt that it was bandaged, too.

"I'll go get the doctor." Cid bustled out of the room. Seifer looked around again, wondering how he got here. He saw that Zell was slumped at the side of the bed in a chair, sleeping in a very uncomfortable position. His head was resting by Seifer's elbow, and he looked completely out for the night. It didn't take long for Cid to come back with someone in a white coat. Seifer couldn't even really remember how he'd gotten here, but didn't really have time to remember when the doctor started to prod him. The doctor was doing it gently, but it felt like another beating to Seifer, who screamed in agony loud enough that Zell jerked awake. Seifer was pumped full of drugs, and as he blacked out again, he heard Zell calling his name.

Seifer woke up about 12 hours later, still feeling absolutely awful and bleary from the drugs, but a little better.

"Hello, again." Cid smiled down at him. This time, Cid was sitting in a chair beside the bed, but was still wearing the same rumpled shirt.

"Seifer?" Edea came from somewhere in the room that Seifer couldn't see, and looked down at him, standing behind Cid's chair. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," Seifer answered, surprised at how his own voice sounded. It was completely grated and hoarse, not sounded at all like himself. He lolled his head around on the pillow, and saw with disappointment that Zell wasn't beside his bed anymore. "What are you doing here?" He started coughing, and took the cup of ice chips that Cid offered him.

"We wanted to be here for you," Edea answered. "We are your parents, and we do love you."

Seifer didn't reply to that.

"Do you remember how you got here....?" Cid asked.

Seifer contemplated for a while.

"Seifer....?" Edea began to ask.

"I'm thinking," he interrupted, coughing again. He sucked on a piece of ice, the coldness soothing his injured throat. The concussion he'd gotten made it hard for him to concentrate, but his memory did start to piece things together, and each moment that he remembered made him feel worse, as if he was taking the beating all over again. "Yeah...." He trailed off bitterly. "Yeah, I remember."

"We're just so glad you're okay."

Seifer adjusted his weight, and couldn't help whimpering in pain.

"Go get the doctor," Cid asked of Edea. They shared a look, and even in his painful state, Seifer noticed. Edea looked down at the ground, and Cid had a look on his face that Seifer knew well, since he'd seen it on the Headmaster's face many times during his days as a Garden cadet. It was a look of supreme disappointment and anger.

"You found out, huh?" Seifer asked, chewing on some ice.

Cid was about to ask what Seifer was talking about, but saw the shrewd knowledge in his son's eyes. He passed Seifer his spare pair of eyeglasses, since his primary pair had been destroyed in the battle.

Seifer took them without a word, putting them on and seeing Cid's face in sharp focus, lined with so many emotions.

"How long have you known....?" Cid asked carefully.

"Not too long."

"How?"

"Zell, Squall and me walked in on them in his office."

"And, you didn't say anything....?"

"It wasn't my place to tell you. She should have told you. I guess she finally did."

"No, she didn't." Cid frowned deeply. "I walked in on them, too."

"Oh. So... what now?"

"I don't know," Cid answered, looking at Seifer. "How did you feel?"

"Ashamed of her," Seifer admitted after a while. The pain was starting to ebb because of his painkiller drip. "Disappointed that they could be so sleazy. You know... I looked up to Laguna a lot when I was a kid, because he was in that Sorceress's Knight movie. I fucking loved that movie. Though...." Seifer stared towards the window, not wanting to look into Cid's eyes. "I haven't seen it in forever. I'm sure it's just awful, and I'm only remembering it through nostalgia-coloured glasses."

"I wonder how long it's been going on."

"You never asked?"

"What you heard me just say to her is the first time I've really talked to her since it happened."

"You shouldn't leave it. Unless you want your relationship to die, like our relationship died."

Cid looked away at the harshness of Seifer's comment. "Well, we've been a little distracted. We've both been more concerned about you."

"How long have I been here....?" Seifer asked, looking around the room again in vain for Zell.

"This is the fourth day."

"Where's Zell?" Seifer asked.

"Edea made him go get some food and some rest. He's barely left this room."

Seifer just nodded, laying back against his pillows. "What... what happened....?" Seifer trailed off with a yawn. "What happened to all the Blackballers....?" He briefly thought of Fujin, but he couldn't seem to stay awake long enough to hear Cid's answer. He wasn't quite asleep, but he was just shutting down for some more rest. He felt Cid remove his glasses from his face, and also heard Edea and the doctor come back in. The doctor said some stuff to them about Seifer's condition, and then he heard Cid say something tersely to Edea. He may have heard these things, but just couldn't react to them. He also felt Edea kiss his forehead, and Cid stroke his hair. Later, he felt the touch of Zell's hand. He couldn't see Zell, but he knew it was him simply by his touch. Over the next few days, Seifer was in and out of consciousness. The doctor wanted visitors restricted, but Zell was as stubborn as a mule and refused to leave. Cid and Edea were also in and out, but not usually at the same time. Pieces that Seifer couldn't remember were filled in for him, and he found out that Fujin was in another ward of the hospital, the substance abuse ward.

Seifer also found out the extent of his injuries from Zell, who had told him between kisses to each area, and gentle and loving strokes of his fingers. Five broken ribs, two cracked vertebrae, a cracked left orbital bone, a broken kneecap, bruised kidneys, lungs and vocal chords, two broken fingers, a concussion and 700 stitches throughout his body. Zell hadn't gotten off free, either. He had a broken hand and a sprained shoulder.

"How's Fujin doing?" He asked, groggy from another dose of painkillers. The doctors were starting to lessen the amount, for Seifer was slowly starting to get better. He was starting to walk around more, just to exercise his muscles.

"We don't really know. They're just saying that they're weaning her from Blackball, and that it's lucky it was only one dose. But... we aren't sure what they did to her before we found her," Zell answered, laying beside Seifer in the small hospital bed, being very careful about how he touched the other man. "They don't really let people visit that ward. I guess it interferes with the detox program or something..." Zell kissed Seifer's forehead, their fingers looped together. They were just enjoying a few moments alone, without doctors or Cid and Edea coming in, and while Seifer was awake and mostly alert.

"I guess our first date kinda got messed up." Seifer then groaned.

"What?" Zell asked, bolting right into a sitting position, immediately going into mothering mode. "Are you okay? Did the morphine wear off? Should I call the doctor?"

Seifer waved a hand. "No... no...." He yawned. "Nothing like that. Just thinking about that I missed even _more _time from work."

Zell let out a sigh. "Oh, I thought it was something serious." He then scowled. "You fucking scared me, you jerk." He smacked Seifer's chest, and both of them howled in pain. Seifer because of his cracked ribs, and Zell because he'd done it with his broken hand. "Sorry!" Zell exclaimed, putting his hand to his mouth as Seifer gasped for air. "Oh shit, I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," Seifer grunted, rubbing his chest.

"God, baby... I'm sorry."

"Stop simpering." Seifer flopped back against the pillow. "And, lay back down."

Zell slowly did so, being extra careful not to hurt Seifer again. They didn't really talk much more, and just lay in silence. Seifer drifted in and out of sleep, and Zell was just content in laying next to Seifer and listening to him breathe. It confirmed in him how lucky Seifer was that he was still alive. Seifer opened his eyes when he heard a gentle knock on the door. Zell sat up a little, and his face, which had a look of serenity on it before, completely darkened with anger.

"I just came to see how you were," Squall said in his emotionless way. He was dressed in his usual black, with a dress shirt and equally dark slacks. Most of Squall's injuries weren't visible, concentrated mostly to deep tissue and organ bruising, but there was one very visible wound. The huge welt on the side of his face from Zell's fist.

"Well, your concern is appreciated," Seifer said diplomatically. "Any word from Rinoa yet?" Seifer had heard through the grapevine that Squall was unable to get hold of his wife.

"No, none." Squall frowned, but changed the subject. "How's your hand?" Squall asked of Zell, defensively crossing his arms.

"Don't even fucking talk to me," Zell snapped.

"Zell...."

"What, are you gonna vote me out of my own boyfriend's hospital room, too?" Zell shouted, getting out off the bed violently enough that Seifer grunted in pain, but Zell was so livid he didn't hear it.

"You won't even let me explain myself?" Squall asked. His voice was far calmer than Zell's, but Seifer could see deep under his mask of blankness that he was far from calm. Zell, if he weren't through the roof, would have probably noticed it, too. He was definitely upset, but more on the side of sadness than the side that Zell was on right now.

"What's to explain?" Zell's hands were balling into fists at his sides. "I don't think you can say anything that will make me hate you less."

"Hate...?" Squall asked, uncertain.

"Yeah. Hate. How did you _think _I would feel, you fucking bastard?"

"I'm part of the Administration at Garden, Zell." Squall's scarred brow was furrowing with his emotions. "It requires me making decisions that I may find hard, because they're what's best for the rules."

"What _rules_?" Zell shouted at the top of his lungs. "How does who I see during _my_ personal time have _anything_ to do with my duties as a SeeD?!"

"It has something to do with it when that person is a murderer."

"Ahem..." Seifer mockingly cleared his throat. "Being the person currently under discussion, I'd just like to say that I was cleared of charges, and perhaps Garden was a _tad_ hasty in giving out punishment, before Esthar's case was finished."

"You just let yourself be bamboozled by Xu, since she's such a fucking whore and hates Seifer for no reason. You played right into her hands because you're so spineless and can't think for yourself and you can't handle change. Maybe Rinoa wised up and realized it too, and that's why you can't find her."

Squall looked away, and Seifer could see that his eyes were starting to get moist, brimming with tears.

"You shouldn't talk about things you don't know..." Squall trailed off, his voice very quiet.

"Hurts, does it? Well, good. A few sharp words and a punch in the face isn't anywhere near as awful as you deserve, you fuck. Now _get out_." Zell then shoved Squall in the chest, sending him stumbling back a few steps. When he looked back at Zell, Seifer could see that the tears had trickled down his cheeks, but that Squall also looked angry.

"Don't shove me," Squall said lowly.

"Fine." Zell backhanded Squall across the face. He moved to hit Squall again, but his hand was caught in the wind-up. Seifer had quickly gotten out of bed, and stepped between the two of them, hobbling because of his broken knee.

"Stop it. I'm a sick man, and I shouldn't have to be breaking up a fistfight in a fucking hospital!" He looked down into Zell's eyes, releasing his wrist. "Go take a walk, okay? You need to cool down."

Zell just silently fumed, but Seifer wouldn't break their gaze until Zell relented. "Fine," he answered. "Fine."

"Good." Seifer leaned forward and kissed Zell gently on his anger-set mouth. His eyes kept following Zell until he was out of the room.

"I should go," Squall said, making a motion with his hand towards the door.

"Sit down," Seifer commanded as he got back on the bed, his face already covered in sweat because of the effort of even simply standing and walking. Seifer motioned for Squall to sit on the bed. Squall looked confused about the request, but then relented.

"Are you okay? I know as well as anyone that Zell can pack quite the punch. Especially because I think I've been on the receiving end of 75 percent of them."

"I'm fine."

"Okay, well I'm just going to come out and say this: what's up with this Rinoa thing? What's Zell talking about?"

Squall didn't say anything for a while, but Seifer didn't press him to. He knew very well that Squall wasn't much of a talker. "It's not really your concern."

"Call it concern for Rinoa, then. Why isn't she here? I figured she'd be as stubborn as Zell is with me, and never want to leave your side, especially after a brush with death."

"I can't get a hold of her," Squall admitted. He didn't know why he was confiding in Seifer of all people. Maybe it was because Zell had opened a raw wound in him, or maybe it was because of how non-judgemental his voice sounded. Maybe it was because he was simply _there_. "I've been trying for a couple weeks, and she won't answer the phone at home. I've tried Garden, and I've tried her father's house. I can't find her anywhere."

"Have you called the police? Or, has Garden tried to find her?"

"I haven't called anyone."

Seifer frowned in confusion. "But, why? Something might have happened to her."

"I don't think she wants to talk to me."

Seifer cocked his head at the sadness in Squall's voice. He didn't press anything, since it sounded, from Squall's tone, that it was something serious and personal.

"She's pregnant," Squall said quietly. "When she told me, I asked what she was planning to do... if she was planning to abort. She got upset, and I was upset, and I haven't talked to her since." All of this came out in a whisper. "What if.... what if she really did have an abortion...?" Squall asked tentatively. "That's not something that can be undone."

"Do you want her to have an abortion?"

"I don't know..... But, what if something terrible happened to her? What if Diablos....?"

"Diablos is after me and Zell, not Rinoa."

"Or, what if she did get an abortion, and it went horribly wrong....?" Seifer could hear Squall's voice shaking, and could hear the real fear there. "I can't find my wife anywhere, Selphie and Quistis are barely talking to me, my father is breaking up someone else's marriage, and my own best friend hates me. And... and, I think I'm going crazy. I keep feeling like I'm being followed, but there's nobody there...." Squall trailed off because his voice was shaking so bad. He covered his face with his hands in shame that he was losing it like this in front of his old rival. He started crying quietly into his palms, all this fear and sadness growing too big for him to continue bottling up.

As he cried, he felt Seifer's weight on the bed shift, and then felt Seifer's hand on his back, between his shoulders. Yes, Seifer was mad with Squall about what happened with Zell, but it was plain that Squall was suffering with the fallout. He seemed to be falling apart. Seifer very well knew that Squall was more delicate than his cold exterior made him seem. And, Seifer also knew what it was like to have to live with regrets coming from an action that you wished you could take back. Seifer knew that feeling all too well, for his life was full of those kind of decisions. He stroked his hand up and down Squall's back, which made Squall cry harder, his quiet crying turning into sobs that wrenched his whole body. Squall wrapped his arms around his own shaking body, feeling himself being cocooned in Seifer's arms. Over the years, he'd been in a lot of situations with Seifer Almasy, but he'd never shared a hug with him, or been held by him. Seifer's arms were very strong, and Squall didn't feel ashamed at all. Seifer knew him in a completely different way than anyone else knew him, so Squall didn't feel awkward about crying into his chest.

Seifer kissed the top of Squall's head, and then rested his cheek there, not trying to say any words of comfort. This was a release for Squall, one that he probably sorely needed. He just kept stroking Squall's back, and holding him tight. The way he'd wished someone would have held him so many times in the past, when all his emotions had felt too big to handle. Eventually, Squall stopped crying, but he didn't make a move to pull away, so Seifer didn't make a move to break the hug. Seifer felt Squall sigh against him, and felt the other man's arms wrap around his waist.

When Selphie came in for a visit about ten minutes later, she couldn't have been more surprised. After all, it wasn't every day that you saw Seifer Almasy and Squall Leonhart hugging, let alone looking very content about it. When Squall looked up, Selphie deduced that Squall had been very upset. She could see that his eyes were red, and that his cheeks looked blotchy. There was nothing romantic about the embrace. It was a comfort thing. "Uhh.... should I come back later?" She asked, jerking her thumbs over her shoulder back towards the hallway.

"No it's okay," Seifer waved for her to come in. "What's up?"

"Uhhhh, not much. How are you?" She didn't know if she was asking Squall or Seifer. Squall didn't seem embarrassed about being caught in Seifer's arms, because he took his time pulling away, wiping his cheeks with his hands, and then running his fingers through his hair as he sniffled. He stood up, not really paying much attention to Selphie at the moment. "Thanks, Seifer."

The blonde just nodded. "If you need to talk or anything, you can call me, you know?"

"Umm.... can you tell.... uhh, can you tell Zell that I.... that I'm sorry?" Squall's voice still sounded shaky, like he was going to break down again. "That... I.....?" Squall trailed off, not knowing how to end that sentence.

Seifer nodded as Squall left. Squall made eye contact with Selphie, but didn't try to give her any greeting or pleasantries.

"Where is Zell, anyway?" Selphie asked when she and Seifer were alone.

"I made him take a walk. Him and Squall almost got into it."

"Ohhhhh." She sat on the bed where Squall had been. "So... what's wrong with him?"

"Too much stuff for him to handle right now, but I don't think it's my place to talk about it. So, what's up?"

"I just got some info I thought you might want to know. About Fujin."

Seifer perked up. "Really? How is she? Did you see her?"

"Whoa there tiger." Selphie put her hands up. "No, I didn't get to see her. The detox program likes to keep the environment... sterile. They don't like family or friends visiting the patients, because it makes them want to leave, and it's just easier, instead of making them sad or whatever. At least, that's what the doctor who talked to me said."

"But... did you find out how she is?"

"Yeah. He said that she's by no means the worst case he's ever seen. She should make a full recovery."

"Well, that's good."

"SeeD spy, at your service." She gave him a mock salute. "I also found out some other stuff, though."

"Other stuff?" Seifer echoed blandly, laying back down. He was starting to feel tired again.

"About Cid and Edea."

"Oh." His interest decreased dramatically. "If it's about Cid finding Edea and Laguna going at it like a couple of sluts, then I already know."

"Huh? How?"

"When I first woke up, I could see the looks they were giving each other. So, are they getting a divorce?"

Selphie played with the hem of her black kilt. "I don't really know. I don't think they know, to be honest. They're both so preoccupied with you and your condition right now that I don't think they've really thought of it. Though, I don't think it helps matters that Sir Laguna is around the hospital a lot because of Squall." Selphie then frowned at Seifer as he lay back against his pillows. "What was up with what I walked in on, anyway?"

"You should really stop giving Squall such a hard time," Seifer muttered sleepily, letting out a long yawn. "I know what it's like to be in his shoes...."

"To what, betray your friends?"

"Somewhat," Seifer answered, opening one eye and giving Selphie a look that shamed her, though she didn't know if that was his intent or not. "I also know what it's like to constantly regret a single action that destroys the rest of your life." He closed his eyes, and he thought Selphie said something, but he couldn't really stay awake. He drifted out of sleep when the bed shifted. He felt the warm weight of Zell curl up against his side, and he also woke up briefly when a nurse came in to check on him. But, other than that, he slept quite deeply.

Edea sat in her hotel room in Timber, stirring her cup of tea, which had long since gone cold. She hadn't even taken a sip. Seifer had been released from hospital the day before, and had gone home with only a brief muttering to her. He'd been a little chattier with Cid, but only a little. At least he'd looked Cid in the eye and said a legible word. At that moment, it seemed like _so_ much more to her. It was a gloomy day outside, which felt fitting to Edea's mood. Her mood was not only that of depression, but of acute loneliness. Not only was Seifer still shunning her, but Rinoa had vanished off somewhere. Edea hadn't really realized how much she appreciated Rinoa being around. Rinoa was a Sorceress, like her, which was something rare, and comforting. Then, there were the two men in her life. Laguna was keeping his distance after Cid caught them, and Cid really wanted nothing to do with her at the moment, not that she blamed him. She looked up from her cold tea when the phone rang. She picked it up, but didn't say anything, since she knew who it was.

"Edea?" Laguna's voice asked. "I know you're listening. I think we should talk to Cid together. We can't just keep all giving each other the silent treatment."

"I don't think I should discuss anything with my husband with you there." She sighed and hung up the phone. But, she knew Laguna had a point. She and Cid _were_ giving each other the silent treatment. And, Laguna wasn't just going to go away, so giving _him_ the silent treatment also wasn't helping anything, especially because even though they'd been caught by the very person they were hiding from, she still desired his company. She sat down in front of her tea again, and just stared at it. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but a knock at the door shocked her. Edea frowned and got up. She hoped it wasn't Laguna again, but it probably was. He was very stubborn. She opened the door, and was quite surprised to see Cid standing there.

"Oh.... hello."

"Hello," Cid greeted stiffly.

"Come in, please." She opened the door to allow her husband to come in, like he was some stranger, a mere guest in her room. She closed the door behind him. "I'm surprised you came. Happy, though. Have you heard anything from Seifer? How is he?"

"No, of course I haven't. He would never call to tell us how he was. Though, Selphie said he's okay and already back at the shop."

"I just hope he doesn't push himself too hard..."

"I didn't come her to talk about Seifer," Cid said abruptly. He crossed his arms.

"Yes...." Edea sat down, looking up at him. "You have to know how sorry I am."

"I'm sure you are. But, it still doesn't answer the question I have."

"Which is?"

Cid just stared at her, the same look she was sure he gave students when he knew they were lying to him.

"Why, Edea? Hyne, _why_!?"

"I don't know...." She answered shakily. "I don't know."

"Are you in love with him? Or, is it just for a hot fuck?"

"Cid!" She exclaimed.

"Am I wrong?" He asked. "How long has it been going on?" He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "No, you know what? Never mind. It doesn't matter how long it's been going on. That it happened even once is enough." He stared angrily down at her. "So, do you love him more than you love me? Or, is it just that you don't find me attractive anymore?"

"That's not it! Laguna and I had been spending so much time together while you were working...."

"Oh, so is it my fault because I had duties at Garden?"

"No!" She exclaimed. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then, how did you mean it?"

Edea was quiet for a while. "I don't have any answers for you, Cid. I don't know why it happened. It's not because I love you less, because I still love you very much. And, it's not that I wasn't happy...."

"Did you give Seifer, Zell and Squall this same song-and-dance when they caught you two?"

Edea looked down at her tea. "Seifer hasn't spoken to me much at all."

"So, you have no explanation for yourself?"

"I wish I did," she whispered.

"Do you still love me?" Cid asked, his voice not holding anger anymore.

"Yes!" Edea exclaimed quietly. "Of course I do."

Cid shook his head at her. "You know.... ever since I caught you two, that's something I wanted to know... if you still loved me, or even cared about me at all...."

"Of course I still love you!" She stood up and went over to him, putting her hand on his arm. "I can't picture a life without you. You've been by my side during some of my darkest moments..."

"If you felt that way, why did you have to turn to Laguna?"

Edea opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Cid disentangled himself from her. "I think you don't know what you want, and I think that I can't trust you after this. At least when the whole world was against you, I knew it wasn't you. I knew it was Ultimecia that was making you do those awful things. But, I can't blame this on Ultimecia, now can I?"

Edea turned away, pursing her lips which were starting to shake. Cid opened the door, and looked over his shoulder at her. "I can't be with a woman that I can't trust, Edea."

She let out a quiet sob as he went out into the hallway. Her heart leapt in her throat when she heard Laguna's sad voice in the hallway. "Hello, Cid."

"Come for another quickie with my wife?" Cid asked. Edea came out into the hallway, and gasped loudly when Cid punched Laguna in the face. Her hands went up to her mouth as Laguna fell back, hitting an end table with a decorative vase on it. The flowers in the vase scattered down on Laguna. In all the years she'd known Cid, Edea had never seen him hit anyone. He definitely wasn't a man of violence. But, his temper was there, under the surface. Seifer definitely was his son. That look of anger on Cid's face was mirrored in Seifer's face, though a lot more often.

"Cid!" Edea exclaimed, going towards him.

"Stay away from me, Edea!" He shouted angrily, stalking down the hallway. Instead of standing there and waiting for the elevator, he made it a true exit by taking the stairs. Once he was alone in the stairwell, the anger that rarely possessed him seeped away, and he collapsed against the wall, having to take his glasses off because his eyes were stinging with tears. As he wiped his eyes and mourned for what seemed like the death of his marriage, Laguna was slowly getting to his feet, the surroundings spinning.

"What are you doing here?" Edea asked as he rubbed his jaw.

"I still think we need to talk," Laguna pointed out. "And, in person... you can't hang up on me."

"Don't you think we've done enough damage, Laguna?" She asked angrily, storming off into her room and slamming the door behind her.

Squall was sitting alone in his bedroom, trying again to reach Rinoa. He was calling her number in Deling City, and just letting it ring. Irvine and Selphie were both out, so he was very alone, not just in the emotional sense. Though... for some reason, he _did_ feel a little better after seeing Seifer in the hospital. After the twentieth ring, someone finally picked up.

"Rinoa?!" Squall exclaimed. "Rinoa, is that you?"

There was silence on the other end, and he could hear something mechanical in the background. A machine of some sort. There must have been construction outside, or she was using an appliance or something.

"Rinoa.... please.... I need to see you."

"Do you still want me to abort the baby?" She asked, sounding alien to him because of how dead her voice was. Her voice had always given away her emotions, including anger. She'd never sounded this empty to him before.

"No....." He trailed off. "Oh...." He sighed. "I've been so worried about you. Please, come to Timber. I-I... I need to see you."

"I'm busy here right now," she answered, again her voice sounding like it belonged to a stranger.

"How... how are you?" Squall asked. "Did you go to a doctor?"

"I'm fine. I have to go. Squall, I'll talk to you when I'm done my business here." She hung up abruptly.

Squall listened to dead air for a while, and then stared at the receiver in his hand. After a long time, he hung up, disturbed by how unlike herself Rinoa had sounded. And, what was this business she'd talked about?

"Well, at least he got a hold of her," Selphie pointed out as she, Irvine and Zell walked down one of the main streets in Downtown Timber. "So, I guess she's okay."

"You guess...?" Zell asked as he swallowed a bite of the chicken wrap he'd purchased from a sidewalk vendor. "Selphie, whenever you sound hesitant, that means something's wrong."

She shrugged, looping her arm with Irvine's after she polished off her hot dog. "Well, Squall said that she sounded 'off', not like herself..."

"Maybe she's still mad at him." Zell frowned. "I wouldn't blame her there."

"Maybe..... And, I guess things between Cid and Edea aren't getting better. You can see it on Cid's face when we have meetings."

"I can sort of see where he's coming from," Irvine pointed out. "I don't know how I'd feel if I saw Selphie with another man."

"I'm sure you wouldn't care if it was another _woman_," Selphie muttered, elbowing her boyfriend in the side.

"I know I'd flip my wig if I caught Seifer with another guy," Zell said.

Selphie snorted. "Then, I guess it's a good thing that I was the one who walked in on him and Squall holding each other.... I mean, uhh... oops." She winced. "I shouldn't have said that."

Zell's face darkened like a coming storm, the kind that Timber had seen too many of lately. "What?"

"Oh, it wasn't like that Zell!" She exclaimed, trying to smooth things over. "It's just that Squall was crying, and Seifer was comforting him..."

"I gotta go," Zell said sharply, walking up the sidewalk at a rapid pace.

"Zell, wait!" Selphie called. But, he either didn't hear her, or wasn't listening. "Zell....!! Oh, horseapples."

Irvine and Selphie both stared up the sidewalk. "So, how _does_ your foot taste, anyway?"

"Quiet, you!" Selphie snarked, smacking Irvine's shoulder. But, her brows came together seriously. "You think I should call Seifer and warn him?" She started to pull out her cell phone.

"Why?" Irvine asked as they started walking again. "It's not like Seifer and Squall did anything that needs to be covered up. Seifer will point that out to Zell. Squall just.... needed a friend, that's all."

"Kinda makes me feel bad about how I've been treating him."

"You were feeling loyal to Zell. Of course you'd be angry with him."

"At least he seems genuinely sorry...."

"Don't worry about that stuff right now," Irvine whispered to her. "We actually have some free time, and I don't want to talk about depressing shit." He kissed her temple and they kept walking. Selphie would have liked to have listened to Irvine, but how could she _not_ think of everything that was happening? And, she was quite sure they hadn't seen the worst yet.

Seifer had his leg propped up on a spare chair in his office as he finished up some paperwork. He wasn't pulling all-nighters to catch up, because it would do too much of a number on his still sore body, but also because Zell was being a tyrant about that, and was _very_ punctual about picking Seifer up, since Seifer couldn't drive himself yet. Things were quieting down, so Seifer had a lot of time to finish up without interruptions, especially because Xera and Gietzen were dusting shelves, which always took a while because of so many small items.

He looked up when his office door opened, seeing Zell fly in. He checked his watch. "I still have an hour, Dincht. You're early...." He trailed off when he saw the look on Zell's face. "Whoa.... what happened?"

Zell put his hands on his hips and glowered at Seifer. For such a small guy, he looked pretty imposing at that moment. "So, was it just a morphine-induced haze that made you forget to tell me about you and Squall?"

"Tell you about me and Squall...?" Seifer echoed, a little confused. He put down a piece of paper he'd been reading. "Would you care to enlighten me to what you're blathering about?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were rubbing yourself all over Squall, and I had to hear it from Selphie?"

Seifer blinked dramatically. "Huh?"

"In the hospital?"

"Ohhhh." Seifer started laughing.

"Why are you laughing? Do you deny that you were all cuddling with Squall?"

Seifer's laughter died, and he stared back at Zell with as much anger as Zell was giving him. "Well, Squall is fine, thank you for asking."

"What do I care if Squall's okay if he's sliming up to my boyfriend."

"Can the jealous woman act, Dincht. Because it's not winning any points with me."

"So, did it turn you on?"

Seifer shook his head angrily. "You're fucking insane. Squall was worried about Rinoa, and he was upset over you, and he just started falling apart. What would you have wanted me to do, act like an asshole and just let him cry?"

"He deserves it."

"Is it really so hard for you just to hear him out? That's all he wants."

"It seems all he wants is to get stroked by you."

"He isn't even gay!" Seifer shouted. "Do you realize how ridiculous you sound? That you're jealous over nothing?"

"Yeah, well I never thought Squall would stab me in the back and get me fired. So, what's it for him to fuck you, too?"

Seifer started laughing bitterly into his palms. "You quit, Zell."

"If it was nothing then, why did you so conveniently forget to tell me, huh?!"

"Oh, I don't know..." Seifer put on a mockingly thoughtful face. "Maybe because I was almost killed, and I had other things on my mind. Or, because the doctors pumped me full of painkillers? I hear they make you scatterbrained."

"Don't make fun of me."

"Why not? You're acting like an ass."

"Well, then why were you hugging your childhood enemy like you were best friends?"

"Squall was never my enemy. We were rivals, but never enemies. Ultimecia and school gossip made us enemies. But, we never thought of each other that way. How did you find out, anyway? You weren't there."

"Selphie told me." Zell crossed his arms.

"Did she also tell you that it was completely innocent? Or, did you just storm off without hearing the rest of what she had to say, only hearing what you wanted to?"

"I don't need to hear Selphie to know that Squall is cozying up to you."

"Fuck you, Zell. Why don't you go ask Squall what exactly happened? Why don't you confront him instead of taking your anger for him out on me?" Seifer turned back to his computer. "Why don't you just not worry about picking me up, either? I'll find my own way home."

Zell frowned at Seifer's brush-off, frowned at Seifer not taking his anger seriously. He stormed out of the office, and instead of driving home, drove to the apartment where everything in Timber had first started, the SeeD issued flat that he, Irvine and Selphie had been assigned, and where Squall was now residing in Zell's place.

He got there and rapped angrily on the door. Squall opened it a crack, and was quite surprised to see Zell standing there. "Zell....? I...." He opened the door. "Come in."

Zell stormed past Squall, not noticing that Squall was looking thinner than usual, and had circles under his eyes from lack of sleep brought on by his constant feeling of being watched and followed, worry for his wife, and depression over Zell.

"So, what's next?" Zell asked, spreading his arms out. "It wasn't enough that you had to take my job from me, but my boyfriend, too?"

Squall cocked his head, his pretty mouth drawn into a frown. "I don't follow."

"Oh, you're whole crawl-into-my-boyfriend's-lap incident?"

"It wasn't like that," Squall said simply, leaning against the wall as Zell paced, unable to stay still, especially when he was so wound up. "I was... upset."

"Upset?!" Zell shouted. "Upset? You deserve to be upset after what you did to me."

"I regret it."

"Is that all you can say?!" Zell asked.

"I can tell you that Seifer was merely being kind to me. I just.... needed someone to be there for me. If you think it was something more than that, I'm sorry, but you're wrong."

"I find it hard to believe anything you say."

"Why wouldn't you believe Seifer, then?"

"Because I think you're a back-stabber."

"I didn't do it to stab you in the back, Zell." Squall sat down, folding his hands on the tabletop. "I'm a Garden official. I have to be neutral. I know you won't care, but for what it's worth. I didn't vote against you because I wanted to."

"You did it to follow the rules," Zell muttered, crossing his arms. He stared at Squall for a very long time. It was a very bitter gaze. "Right. I got that."

"I've always believed in following the rules."

"Except when it came to Rinoa?"

"That was for love."

"And, you don't love me?" Zell asked sharply. "I know we aren't a couple, but you don't love me, even as a friend?"

"I didn't say that"

"I don't even think you know what you're trying to say." Zell went towards the door. "You can't even give me a good excuse."

"No, I can't" Squall trailed off as Zell opened the door with force. Squall winced as the door heavily hit the wall. "I have no excuses. I can only tell you how sorry I am."

Zell just slammed the door behind him. Squall sighed heavily and slumped so his head was on the table. He knew his excuse was lame, but it was the only one he had.

Zell quietly removed his black hooded sweatshirt, and slowly kicked off his sneakers. The bedroom was dark, and he saw that Seifer was already asleep. All the lights in the house were out, so it was only lit by moonlight. He took off the rest of his clothes without trying to make much noise. After going over to Squall's, he'd driven around for a while, thinking. He'd realized that he'd flown off the handle, and now felt like a complete fool. He crawled into bed, looking at Seifer's back, the way his T-shirt pulled across his shoulder blades in that delicious way. With hesitation, Zell leaned over and kissed Seifer on the cheek, and noticed that the other man's eyelashes fluttered.

"Did I wake you up?" Zell whispered.

"No. I was just getting ready to fall asleep."

"Oh." Zell sighed and pressed his forehead to the nape of Seifer's neck. "I was such an asshole."

"Yeah, you were."

"As soon as I heard Squall's name, I just lost it."

"You had no reason to."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I know I know you wouldn't cheat on me."

"It isn't even a matter of that," Seifer said evenly. "I seriously hope that this isn't an indication of future events in our relationship, Zell. I really don't find the whole jealousy bit a turn-on."

"I know, Seifer. I'm sorry. Hyne, I'm sorry."

"Because, I have enough to deal with right now. An ancient demon is trying to kill me, so I don't need to worry about my boyfriend flying off the handle."

"I know," Zell emphasised, wrapping his arms around Seifer and squeezing tightly. "Believe me, I know. But I just don't have an excuse" He trailed off, thinking about what Squall had said to him.

"So, did you take my advice?"

"What, talking to Squall instead of using you as a middle man?"

"Yes."

"I did, actually."

Seifer gave Zell a surprised look. "Really? How did it go?"

"I'd be lying if I said good."

"Did you let him talk?"

"Yes." Zell rolled over to lay on his back. "But he couldn't tell me anything. He didn't have a reason that wasn't bullshit."

Seifer just made a noise in the back of his throat, but it spoke very loudly to Zell, who felt ashamed of himself. "I know, I know. I was a complete prick."

Seifer reached over and pushed Zell's bangs off his face. "At least you can admit when you're wrong. Not all of us have that quality." He gave Zell a little smile.

"So, we're okay?"

"Yeah. Just think things through before you flip out again, okay?"

"Deal." Zell rolled over, winding up on top of Seifer. "I'm glad you're so forgiving. Before, I never thought you would be."

"Maybe I wouldn't have been," Seifer whispered, his fingers stroking over Zell's face, tracing the lines and curves of his face, and the pattern of his tattoo. "I _did_ used to be quite the asshole, in case you haven't forgotten."

"No, I didn't forget. But you're definitely not an asshole now."

"I can be if you want me to."

"I could be an asshole right back."

"No thank you," Seifer said with a devilish grin. "I've seen enough of that today."

Zell frowned, but didn't make a snide comment because he knew that he deserved Seifer's little digs. "You're not an asshole anymore, though."

"Some people would disagree."

"Some people can eat shit."

"Well, I admire your loyalty, even if it's misplaced at times."

"I know, I know." Zell sighed and rested his chin on Seifer's collarbone. "I dunno maybe it wasn't only Squall that made me over-react. Maybe it was because this is my first serious relationship where I don't have to fucking hide it, or pretend that we're 'just friends', you know? It's the first time I've really been in love, so I don't want anything to take it away."

Seifer smiled. "Maybe I can understand that. Though do you realize that you just said 'love', Dincht?"

Zell pursed his lips, but he refused to be embarrassed, or shrug sheepishly and make some stuttering excuse, or even to giggle and blush at it. "I guess I did, didn't I? But, I'm not sorry, and I'm not ashamed. I guess it was finally time to say it."

"Yeah and, I'm not scared off. I'm not even worried about telling you I love you back."

"So, we're in love, huh?"

"Seems that way." Seifer had a playful smirk on his face, but his eyes showed seriousness, and deep emotion. Zell's eyes mirrored that.

"So.." Zell's fingers started trailing down Seifer's sides, and then up under his T-shirt. "I guess we're not only going to have make-up sex, but also saying-I-love-you-for-the-first-time sex, eh?"

"Who said anything about having sex? You're awfully presumptuous."

"No sex?" Zell asked, as if Seifer had suggested asking Diablos to play nice and be their friend was the best way to solve their problems. "What, are you brain damaged or something?"

"I may be in love with you, but that doesn't mean I find you sexually attractive anymore. I think the lust is over. Ow!" He gasped and started laughing as Zell pinched his nipples. He was laughing, but in actuality, it did kind of hurt. Zell's fingers squeezed his nipples, but the grip softened to one that was less painful and more sensual.

Zell chuckled. "Oh, you don't, huh? That boner that's poking my thigh says differently."

"Subconscious reaction."

"How about now?" Zell asked, one of his hands moving out of Seifer's shirt, and squeezing his genitals.

Seifer pursed his lips, but retained a blank expression. "Maybe you're just not as hot as you think you are. Or, maybe I'm a moron for being in love with you."

"You're such a bastard, Almasy."

"It's part of my charm" He was trying to keep the upper hand in this little game, but he couldn't help the groan, however quiet it was, that came from his throat when Zell's hand slipped into his pants.

"I thought that you weren't sexually interested?" Zell asked coyly, pushing Seifer's pants down. "I think you're at least a little interested."

"Maybe just a little."

"Do you always suddenly become a prude after you confess love to a man?"

"I am _not_ a prude!" Seifer exclaimed. He tried to sit up and roll Zell onto his back, but Zell just smiled and raised his eyebrows.

"Yes you are," Zell teased. "Just like a flabby, old librarian." As he said this, he was sliding down Seifer's body.

"Hey, if anyone here is flabby, it ain't me, sister." He sighed as Zell's mouth encircled him. "I'm still supposed to be mad at , God." His arms slowly flailed out to his sides, and then above his head, fingers searching for something to grab onto. Unfortunately in moments like this, when Zell's wet and nimble tongue was around Seifer's penis, Seifer's flat wooden headboard seemed like a waste. There was nothing to grab onto, so his palms only slid against the surface with a squeaking sound. He was making quiet noises, but as Zell's mouth worked him, moving up and down his shaft in time with a strong fist, his tongue tracing every line, every vein, Seifer found it more and more difficult to keep those noises quiet. Zell's hands worked just as hard as his mouth and tongue, his fingers not just stroking over Seifer's thighs and testicles, but _massaging_ them with the strength in his hands. Seifer's toes curled, and his hips arched up to Zell's mouth, groaning and saying illegible things, begging with his body more than his words for more.

Zell sat up suddenly and began to casually take off the rest of his clothes. "So, are you gonna give me my make-up sex now, or not?" He got off Seifer, and sat beside him, hands folded in his lap, looking cool and collected, even though he was feeling anything _but_ that. Putting his hands in his lap made him suck his breath in, since his hands brushed his own erection.

"You fucking tease," Seifer panted through clenched teeth, pouncing on his lover. Zell laughed, but it quickly became far from a laughing matter when he was rolled over, and Seifer's hands moved up his back and across his shoulders with definite purpose, stroking his hands hard enough that Zell groaned, bordering on a whimper. He could only sway on his knees and press his forehead to the flat wooden headboard as Seifer's strong hands abandoned him to start the task of finding a condom and lubrication. Zell panted, rubbing against the wall and headboard, desiring any sort of friction against his skin and his genitals. He groaned loudly when Seifer's hands pressed down on his hips, and when he felt one of those hands moved down his ass, the fingers sliding into him. He knew that Seifer was preparing him fast, but it didn't seem fast enough to his impatient body. He wanted to feel Seifer in him _now._ He wanted to feel Seifer's hands and mouth all over him. He wanted to hear Seifer's breath in his ear, and feel it on the nape of his neck.

They both groaned as Seifer pressed his sheathed erection into Zell's body. Zell was sandwiched between Seifer's muscular body and the wall, whispering Seifer's name repeatedly as Seifer's hands stroked up his chest and started playing with his nipples as his hips began to work at a slow, introductory pace. Zell turned his head so that his and Seifer's lips met in a kiss that started out just as slowly as the pace of Seifer's hips. And, as Seifer's hips started to move quicker, their kiss got deeper and wetter. Their tongues tangled together as they moaned into each other's mouths. It had started out as teasing, then it became quick and almost sloppy, trying to copulate as quickly as possible, but now that Seifer was inside Zell, and now that they were actually in the act of sex, and their lips were pressed together like this, tongues twined, it became anything but quick and sloppy. Their fingers looped together and came apart as their hands discovered each other's bodies as if it was the first time again. Their hands touched each other in a way that spoke volumes of the gravity of saying 'I love you' to each other.

And, those three words were what they whispered to each other over and over as they not only had sex, but they made love. Seifer felt so good and so right inside him, and Seifer's hands touched him in ways that made him regret nothing of his life up to this point. He was sure people may have still seen it as weird that Zell Dincht and Seifer Almasy of all people were together, a couple, but in moments like this, how could it be weird? There was nothing weird about how Zell felt when he was with Seifer, and not just in sexual moments. But, sexual moments was all Zell could really think about, especially with the feeling of Seifer's hard penis stroking him from the inside, running over and over the inner walls of his rectum and his prostate gland. He could only think about how good this felt, how beautiful and loved he felt in Seifer's arms and when Seifer whispered in his ear and against his mouth, when his own mouth was painted with Seifer's saliva.

And, each time Seifer's penis thrust deeper into him and stimulated Zell's sweet spot, Zell said Seifer's name, and professed that he loved him, a little louder each time until he was practically shouting it, until it was loud enough that if Seifer didn't live in the middle of nowhere, neighbours would have been banging on the walls and telling them to shut up. Their hands stroked over each other's sweaty flesh, and they moaned each other's names, Zell screaming out his love for Seifer as he was slammed up against the wall, whispering it into Seifer's hair as Seifer's fingers played with his nipples, murmured it against Seifer's mouth as they kissed insatiably. And, he heard it repeated against the side of his neck, in his ear, against his mouth. Zell didn't only feel this all in his genitals, or in his rectum, or in his mouth, which was sore from their hard kisses. He felt it in his stomach, which was fluttering like crazy, in his intestines, which felt knotted and on fire, and in his heart, which was just too small for what he was feeling right now.

They changed position so that Zell's back was pressed to the wall and his legs were wrapped around Seifer's upper torso, Seifer just pounding into him, their mouths still fused together. Zell couldn't even fathom that something could feel this fucking good. How was it even possible? He'd once thought he'd felt love for a guy back in Balamb, a reporter for the Daily Breeze, but now he'd known it wasn't even in the same universe. And, Seifer had known he'd never felt love before, and honestly hadn't a clue as to what it would feel like when he _did_ feel it, but Hyne now that he felt it now, how had he existed without this feeling inside him? When they came, it just _wasn't enough_. They needed more, wanted more of each other. They kissed and stroked over each other's bodies until they were both hard and ready to go again. Zell felt Seifer grow hard inside him, since the other man hadn't pulled out at all. Zell was rolled over so he was on his back, Seifer's weight pressing him firmly into the mattress, their bodies hardly spent. And, they wouldn't be spent in the least for the rest of the night.

Diablos was laying in his posh bed, among his luxurious sheets with a feeling of contentment that only the hands of his King on him seemed to bring. Bahamut had left so now Diablos was alone, but that was fine. He felt weary, and a little more confident that something would be done about Ulurha and Nha'zora's deaths. Diablos just felt. tired. A good sleep would let him think more clearly. He drifted in and out for what could have been hours, but could have also been days. While in true form, it was hard for Diablos, or any summon, to keep track of time in terms of minutes, seconds and hours. Diablos was woken up by a stroke of power over his body. He lazily opened one eye, wondering if Etanin had returned, but the second eye opened in confusion when he saw a face that was only vaguely familiar to him, but it wasn't because he'd ever met this face before. He'd seen her face through the eyes of another. Through the eyes of his former master, Squall Leonhart. It was his wife, Rinoa Heartilly. A human. A human? But, then how had she gotten through his magical barriers?

He slowly sat up and stared at her. She was standing at the foot of the bed, looking so small with her human body compared to Diablos's large demonic form. But, she just stood there, standing back at him. He crawled across the bed, peering into her face, but reared back when he looked into her eyes. He remembered from seeing her through Squall's eyes that she had brown eyes, eyes the colour of fresh coffee. These eyes were a gold colour that Diablos knew very well. He snarled and moved to attack this intruder, but a wash of magic slammed into Diablos with force that greatly surprised him. When that power lashed out, Diablos saw that Alexander had been a tricky little monkey. Rinoa's skin was patched with sections that looked like her skin had split open, but revealed machinery instead of muscle or bone. He could see various lights and things that he couldn't explain moving like blood in veins. Machines were not something that Diablos understood. Wings also came from her back, those trademark feathery, white wings that had sprouted from Alexander's back numerous times.

"I should have known it was you," Diablos hissed, flinging some of his own magic at Rinoa, who stumbled backwards, but was kept on her feet by power that was not her own. When she moved, it sounded like a great machine advancing rather than human footsteps.

"Yes seems your clairvoyance failed you, hmmm?" Alexander taunted through Rinoa's mouth. "You were so hell-bent on destroying those two humans that you didn't even seen the very human who you had to watch out for." Rinoa's arms moved down her front, as if showing herself off to the demon. "You've gotten to do as you please for far too long."

"Oh, you think you can police me?" Diablos snarled. "You're willing to make an enemy of our Lord because of a little spat with me?"

"Silence!" Alexander screamed, his voice reverberating from out of Rinoa's mouth. "You flaunt your dirty magic, and I cannot let it continue."

"You mean my faerie magic."

"Are you afraid to battle me, demon?"

Diablos laughed, but was flung backwards by a wave of holy magic. He slammed into the wall, the clouds in the sky outside blackening and swirling with the great show of magic that was happening between these ancient bases of power. "Hardly," Diablos ground out, laughing mockingly, not showing that that lash of Alexander's magic had hurt. "At least I'm brave enough to come in my true form."

"I will eradicate you!" Alexander hissed, the machinery showing through Rinoa's skin humming. "Just like I eradicated every other fey I came across."

"Well, Padre let's have at it."


	15. Chapter 15

****

Fifteen

Squall balanced two paper bags stuffed with groceries in his arms as he fished for his keys. A package of garbage bags started to fall out of the top of the bag, so he had to catch it with his teeth and hold it in his mouth as he finally got hold of his keys and tried to put the right one in the lock without dumping his food all over the place. He finally got the right key in the lock, his eyes casually drifting down the hall. When his eyes met the eyes of a child standing at the end of the hall, Squall dropped the bags from his arms, the package of garbage bags still between his teeth. Oranges and cans rolled all over the hall, the apartment door swinging open.

The child with his silver hair and hypnotic blue eyes stared at Squall for a few moments, and then turned to head towards the door that led to the stairwell.

"Wait!" Squall exclaimed. The child didn't stop walking. Squall abandoned his dropped grocery bags and dashed down the hall. He found as he got closer to the kid, the carpet squished under his shoes, for it was wet. He could smell the salt of the sea in the air. It smelled like Balamb. "Wait!!" Squall cried, grabbing the child's forearm, whirling him around. He gripped the boy's upper arms and gave him a little shake. "What are you doing here? Why am I always seeing you? _Why are you following me!?_"

"Please don't shake me," the boy said in a voice that sounded too old to be coming from his pink cherub's mouth.

"Why are you following me?!" Squall shouted in the child's face. He was then flung backwards by a wave of power that felt thick and powerful enough to collapse his lungs.

"Do you realize who I am yet?" The child asked serenely. Though a wave of defensive magic had sent Squall sprawling, he didn't seem angry. "Am I not familiar to you?"

Squall had never seen Leviathan in his child form like the others had. Squall had seen this child before, but had not known it was the god of the seas that he was looking upon. But, with that wave of magic, Squall knew it. Leviathan hadn't been one of the GF that he'd Junctioned a lot, but he did know the power. "Leviathan."

"Well, at least you're not stupid," Manannan murmured, picking up a couple of stray oranges that had rolled near his feet. He rolled the round orange fruit in his small palms. "Well, not once you catch on, that is." He picked up one of the paper bags and started putting the oranges back in it. "You don't need to cower." He went into the apartment.

Squall scuttled to his feet. "Wh. Wh-what the hell are you doing here?" Squall asked, pressing himself to the wall. Leviathan didn't seem angry, but Squall was still wary of that feeling of power still crawling over his skin. "Are you watching me for Diablos?"

Squall was sure he said something offensive. It wasn't that Leviathan got furious, but his hypnotic eyes darkened considerably, and one of his pale eyebrows arched in a very mature way that flew in the face of his child's body.

"No I do not run errands for Daeva." Manannan put the bag on the table, and put his small hands on his hips. Seeing that Squall was just staring at him, frozen on spot, he retrieved the other bag of groceries, and put it next to the first bag.

"Then, _why are you following me_?" Squall demanded, spreading his arms out.

Manannan sat down at the table, regarding Squall for a while. "Curiosity."

"I don't believe that," Squall muttered, still pressed to the wall.

"No, it's not a very good, is it? Children can never lie convincingly. Something about the largeness of our eyes."

"Isn't this just a disguise?"

Manannan smiled benevolently. "It can be. But, this is the form I had when I became what I am now."

"Is this supposed to mean something to me?"

"No, not really."

But, Squall had the feeling it was supposed to mean something to him. But, what? He had no fucking idea. "Why don't you just tell me?" Squall demanded, crouching in front of the sitting boy. Or rather, sitting serpent in a human disguise. Or. He didn't even know how to think of Leviathan. "I'm not stupid, you know."

"No, I know you aren't." Leviathan murmured, leaning forward and putting his hand on the crown of Squall's head, stroking his hair in a way that made Squall feel like he was being touched by a parent. "You are one of the greatest masters I've ever known, and that's saying something, kiddo."

Squall cocked his head at the amusement of being called 'kiddo' by a 12 year old. If he wasn't so confused, he probably would have smiled. "But, that still doesn't answer my question."

"It's not something that I can discuss with you at this time. But, you'll know eventually why I'm watching you."

Squall scowled. "_Please_."

Leviathan just smiled his sweet, cherubic smile again. But, then his facial expression started to change. It was like a light inside him was dimming. His skin seemed less youthful and rosy, and more shimmery and translucent. A lot more like a serpent's. Manannan stood up quickly, which caused Squall to lose his balance and fall back, landing on his ass.

"'s wrong?" Squall asked, hesitant.

"_Ehtathro di Paathaello Qaeghashoma ii Yuaembai._" Leviathan whispered under his breath. Squall couldn't tell for the life of him what Leviathan said, but he was sure it was some sort of curse. Squall then felt a pain in his gut, and slumped even further onto the floor. He heard a ringing in his ears, and the whispering of more strange language.

__

Kharvikkallar? Ma Dalevvina.

The door to the apartment flew open on its own, and Leviathan walked towards it, leaving without any sort of explanation. Squall clutched at his chest, more worried about the awful pain shooting through his muscles than about Leviathan leaving. Squall gasped, winding up on his back, his fingers clawing at anything and nothing. He felt an explosion somewhere within him, like his innards were being ripped from out of him by an invisible hand. He felt cold all over, and then it was over. He was left gasping for air on the floor, his body still shivering, even though it was rather warm in his apartment. He slowly sat up, and saw flurries falling to the floor from his chest, melting on contact. He looked around, and though he was alone, there was an impression of power in the room. Shiva's power. She'd forcibly disjunctioned herself from Squall's body. She must have sensed the same thing that had made Leviathan leave so quickly. He shakily got to his feet, the room spinning.

"Squall, Squall!" Selphie called, jogging into the room. She started shivering when she came in, only wearing a red baby T-shirt and a rather short brown suede skirt. "Hyne, Squall.! What happened?" She looked at him with frost in his hair and snow melting on the floor around him.

"Shiva. She uh disjunctioned." Squall coughed, trying to find his voice.

Selphie shook her head, gently putting her hand on his shoulder as he continued to stumble around, still trying to gain his bearings. "Hmmm.. Maybe it has something to do with what's going on?"

"What's going on?" Squall asked, suddenly very alert and stable.

"Well come see out the window." She let him to a good view of the sky over Timber. It was dark, even though it was the middle of the afternoon. But, it wasn't just dark. It was ominously black, and the clouds were swirling quickly, like a hurricane around its eye. There were also lights that appeared to be lightning illuminating the clouds for brief moments. Gusts of wind would rattle the windows, and the air just felt heavy and _wrong._

"What is it.?" Squall wondered, the clouds looking like a black ocean.

"If Shiva left you like that. Could it be Diablos?"

Squall frowned. "That's a good bet. After all, Leviathan." Squall trailed off as he took his eyes from the clouds, and noticed the sidewalk below. The child with the silver hair and drowning blue eyes was there, looking up at the window. He mouthed something that Squall couldn't hear, but at the same time, he could. It was like Leviathan's youthful voice had carried up from outside, and come through the window directly into his mind. Manannan then disappeared right before their eyes, but his words still echoed in Squall's head.

__

Your wife is in danger.

Squall felt like he'd been punched in the gut as he struggled for air.

"Leviathan what..?" Selphie asked, seeing that Squall seemed to be under strain.

"Shit," he cursed. "Shit, shit, shit."

"What?" She demanded, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Squall, _what_?"

"It's him I know it and Rinoa."

"Rinoa?"

Squall shook her hands off, and went straight for the phone. He'd discovered Seifer's phone number while he was researching Seifer's life over the past decade, so dialled it.

"Hello.?" Seifer's voice asked, though he didn't sound all there.

"Seifer? It's Squall. Look. Diablos is doing something in the city, and it looks bad. I think he's got Rinoa, too."

Seifer's end was silent.

"Seifer!!?" Squall shouted into phone.

"I'm here!" Seifer snapped. "Look just stay where you are. Don't do anything until we get there."

Edea was laying on the bed in her hotel room, watching a television program, but not really watching it. Her mind was just too preoccupied to even bother trying to pay attention to something other than her own feelings of guilt and sadness. She knew it was pointless to wallow in self-pity, but she just couldn't help it. And, it especially seemed selfish when it was her own fault. _She _was the one who had cheated on Cid, and she and Cid were the ones who had lied to Seifer for so long. Laguna hadn't tried to contact her again since their confrontation with Cid, and she was glad of it. Especially because she just couldn't stop thinking about being held by him, that maybe in his arms, she would feel a bit better about things, and that made everything so much worse, considering she was thinking the exact same thing about her husband. To be in his very familiar and very comforting embrace she would give anything for that, and give anything to hear him say he forgave her. But, how could Cid forgive her when she was still thinking favourably about Laguna?

Edea grunted, putting a hand to her bosom when she felt a sharp, stabbing pain there. Perhaps it was the spicy pasta she'd ordered from room service giving her heartburn. Then, she felt it again, and it was coming from outside. It was her power within her that was causing the pain. She got up, falling to her knees because the weight of whatever was going on outside was so oppressive on her sorcery. She crawled on her hands and knees across the carpet, tearing her flimsy, pale pink gauze skirt when she kneeled on it. She clutched the window frame and pulled herself to her feet. She gasped in horror when she saw the swirling clouds in the sky. From somewhere in the Westphal district, she could feel great power being unleashed. For a brief moment, she saw impressions of two great creatures, one resembling the buildings in Esthar that were mechanical marvels, and the other a black, winged demon. But, they weren't actually there. Edea normally could feel what other witches were doing, get a sense for what sort of spells they were casting, but the power was just too great here. She'd only felt something like this once before, and it was when Ultimecia had begun to realize Time Compression. It felt like there was another world at work here, but it was something so advanced that it made Time Compression seem like the spell of a novice witch. She put her hands to the glass, feeling it rattle from the winds of immense power.

The air in her own room was growing heavy because this much power in the air was causing her own magic to rise. Normally, she had much more control than this, but because it was ancient magic from two beings as powerful as Alexander and Diablos, it was far beyond her capabilities as a human to shield against it. Another wave of power rattled the windows, and she felt it sting through her palms, shooting like electricity up her arms. She was flung backwards from the window, her own power having connected with that blast wave. She crumpled on the ground, shivering and panting as her hair and skirt blew around her because of the wind her own magic was creating. She then heard the shrill ring of the phone. She crawled across the carpet again, digging her nails in to drag her weight, but only got a few inches before she collapsed under the weight of magic, the phone still ringing as she lost consciousness.

Seifer sighed as Zell put some coffee and a plate of seafood pasta on the coffee table in front of him. Seifer had just come back from work because his knee had started acting up. It was healing quite nicely, but it still got sore sometimes. It had been two weeks since Seifer and Zell had said 'I love you' to each other, and things had been going great. Whenever Seifer's body ached from his various and serious injuries, Zell doted on him like an overprotective mother, and did anything Seifer asked, which he found amusing. Once in a while, for his own amusement and to annoy Zell, Seifer would act like a complete asshole and demand all sorts of crazy things, but most of the time, he really appreciated it. But, he also assumed that being extra nice wasn't only because Zell loved him, but it was his way of still apologizing for getting jealous over Seifer comforting Squall at the hospital.

"Maybe you shouldn't go to work tomorrow," Zell murmured, stroking the back of Seifer's neck as he handed his lover a hot water bottle for his knee. "Just so you don't push it, you know?"

"It's okay," Seifer assured, wrapping an arm around Zell's shoulders and smiling as the other man leaned into his side. "I'll be fine in the morning." He gave Zell a quick peck on the lips, his mouth lingering over the other man's for a few extra, heavenly moments.

"Are you sure?" Zell asked again. "I know that you've been feeling under the weather the last couple days. Maybe you're getting sick, which would suck shit in your condition."

"I'll be fine," the taller blonde assured again, his voice patient. But, it was true he'd been feeling weary over the last few days. Zell was, too. Which wasn't surprising, since if one of them was going to get sick, it only made sense that the other one would too. Seifer took a drink of his coffee, which he was happy to taste had been made just the way he liked it. A perk of being in an actual relationship, so to speak. As he slowly rotated his knee to work out the soreness, Zell turned on the TV. They relaxed and started watching the news as they ate. They began watching a movie, cuddled with each other, their fingers wandering over each other's hands and arms, their lips finding each other's faces, lips and hair. But, Seifer's stomach started bugging him. Maybe he really _was_ coming down with a cold. Seifer wrapped his arms around Zell, and was disturbed to find that his skin was rather warm.

"Dincht, are you okay? You're kinda feverish feeling."

Zell groaned a little, slumping against Seifer's chest. "Yeah it just kinda came on all of a sudden. My whole body aches. That's the first sign of the flu, I guess."

Seifer kissed Zell's warm forehead, and then rubbed his own chest, which was really starting to hurt. Then, he felt like someone had punched his heart from the inside, trying to break through the organ's walls. He cried out in pain, which caused Zell to sit up fast enough that he actually tasted bile in his mouth because the room started spinning, and his body was on fire. Seifer gasped when the pain suddenly ended, because Tiamat had disjunctioned from him. Zell then started screaming and clawing at both the couch and Seifer, but his pain ended, leaving him a shuddering and panting mess when Ifrit's human form, Djinn, appeared in the living room, along with Thuban.

"Tiamat what.?" Seifer asked, still gasping for air. She was looking around nervously, and it was hard to read Djinn's expression, because he wore a cloth across his face, only his eyes painted by black kohl revealed. But, before she could give him any sort of explanation, the telephone rang. He slowly walked over. "Hello.?" Seifer's voice asked, sounding tired and strained, even to his own ears.

"Seifer? It's Squall," the other man's voice said over the other end, sounding like one word because he was talking so quickly, very un-Squall like. "Look. Diablos is doing something in the city, and it looks bad. I think he's got Rinoa, too."

Seifer pursed his lips, looking over at Zell, who was rubbing his head and starting to sit up and look coherent. Tiamat seemed to be speaking to Ifrit, but it only sounded like exotic music to Seifer.

"Seifer!!?" Squall shouted into phone.

"I'm here!" Seifer snapped. "Look just stay where you are. Don't do anything until we get there." He hung up. "That was Squall," Seifer said to Zell. That strange musical sound was still coming from Thuban's lips, and Djinn replied in turn.

"What did he want?" Zell grunted angrily.

"He said Diablos must be acting up. He sounded worried."

Zell just scowled.

"Not now!" Seifer exclaimed. "Something serious is obviously going on if our GFs both disjunctioned. And, the same thing probably happened to Squall with Shiva."

Zell rubbed his head again and stood up, looking to Tiamat and Ifrit, who were seemingly arguing with each other in that strange language that neither men could make heads or tails of. "Well I guess this means big shit for us then, huh?" He reached out and grabbed Seifer's bicep when he started swooning again. "What should we do?"

Seifer stroked through Zell's hair, feeling that the other man was still quite warm to the touch. "Hey!" He called to Thuban and Djinn. But, they just kept making that musical sound, arguing with each other. "HEY!" Seifer shouted at them.

Thuban looked over her shoulder. "I'm afraid that you could be in danger," she murmured quietly. "But, Djinn doesn't think I should get involved to protect you, less it make _our King _angry." It was hard to tell Djinn's emotions because of his shroud, and because his eyes looked dark and foreboding anyway because of his fire magic. He murmured something to Thuban and then disappeared, leaving a cloud of hot smoke where he'd been standing.

"What did he say?" Seifer asked.

"It doesn't matter." Thuban turned to face Seifer and Zell. "If Djinn thinks I'm worried about upsetting my father, well he's forgotten who he's talking to."

"What should we do?" Zell asked. "What is it exactly that you're feeling?"

"It isn't just me. Djinn and Parminder as well, and I'm sure Manannan has as well, since he's been hanging around Timber. I'm feeling a tremendous release of powers centralized in the city. It is at the manor that Daeva was using as his home. I feel that he and Alexander are in a great power struggle."

"What?" Seifer asked. "Diablos and Alexander?" He looked at Zell. "But Squall said that Rinoa was in trouble. How would she fit into that?"

"I dunno." Zell shook his head. "But, we're gonna find out."

"I would advise against that."

Seifer frowned at Thuban. "It's not like we're going to jump in the middle of a fight between Summons, but we _are_ affected by what's going on. Diablos has _made_ this our business."

She stared him down with a gaze that was pure Alwaid, and while Seifer had stared down many authority figures in his days, he had to look away from that stare.

"I know he's made it your business," she said quietly. "And, I think you should head to the city to check on your friend. Squall Leonhart's wife is involved somehow, and I'm sure he'll wish to find her, which could be potentially fatal. But, I would advise you go no closer to them."

"Isn't Bahamut going to step in?"

Thuban stepped outside and down to the driveway, turning into her true form, speaking from her great fanged mouth. Seifer and Zell followed after throwing on the first two coats they could get their hands on. "One of the strategies that my father liked to use was to just sit back and let two warring parties destroy themselves. It kept him alive during many conflicts."

"But he's the Summon King. He must have to do something to stop this!" Zell exclaimed, eyes focused on the swirling clouds in the sky. This far away from Timber, he could only feel a distant tingling across his skin from the power, like a cool breeze. He was sure the air within the city was thick with magic.

"I'm sure he will, and I'm also quite sure that Diablos and Alexander hope he will stay out of it." She crouched down, her wings lowering. She looked at them patiently. "Father's power is immense and all-encompassing, and a terrible thing to behold. Now, come."

"What?"

"Your motor vehicle is too slow. I will carry you to the city on my back."

Seifer and Zell looked at each other, and slowly climbed up on her. Both felt exhilarated, for neither had ridden on the back of a dragon before. The wind whipped around them, and Tiamat's muscles pumped around them as her wings flapped. Indeed, flying with her was far faster than Seifer's truck, even at the top speed. Both had to hold onto her neck tightly when she was flung backwards by a wave of power. Seifer dared to look down at Timber far below, but he didn't see the city anymore, at least not the city he was used to seeing.

Tiamat landed on what should have been Spruce Avenue in downtown. It looked like an avenue, but the surroundings were not the buildings of Timber. It looked like a ghostly replica, almost like a projection of buildings rather than concrete structures. Sound seemed to be sucked away, coming from impossible angles around them.

"What?" Zell looked around. He could hear Squall's voice from somewhere. He was calling for Rinoa over the sound of magic clashing with magic, and the sound of Alexander's mechanical movements. "What happened to Timber?" The trees in the street potters were dead, and there was mist hanging an inch off the ground. Everything seemed black and green, and felt cold and dead. "What the fuck's going on?"

Tiamat let out a low growl of what sounded like pain, collapsing. Seifer and Zell slid off her back, and she slowly shrank back down to her human guise. "Thuban?" Seifer asked, crouching beside her.

She sat up, grunting and rubbing her chest. "There is a field up that is preventing us from coming in true form."

"Diablos?"

She shook her head. "It feels like Alexander's magic. He must have worried that Father would come, and of course would side with Daeva." She slowly stood up. "So, it must be affecting the others, too."

"What is this place?" Seifer asked, hearing a distant explosion. But, because of the strangeness of the way sound carried in this place, he couldn't tell what direction it had come from.

"A projection of Daeva's power," Thuban answered, looking around. She had a far calmer expression on her face than Seifer or Zell. This place chilled them to the bone, and it felt like they, as humans, shouldn't have even been there at all. Zell huddled close to Seifer, wrapping his arm around his lover's waist. "So very like him."

"What do you mean?" Seifer asked. In the distance, he could hear Squall calling for his wife again.

"I may be outcast, but I still know Daeva very well. He is my father's concubine, after all." She started walking forward a few steps, looking around in the blackness, maybe seeing something that Seifer and Zell couldn't. "It's very like him to create the environment, to gain the upper hand. That he is fighting Alexander on his own turf, so to speak."

"Where is everybody else?" Zell wondered, turning his face into Seifer's chest as a gust of freezing wind hit them. It was a wind of pure power. It had the feeling of light magic, so they assumed it had come from Alexander. "All the other people?"

"I do not know. Perhaps Diablos let you in exclusively. It's also like him to tie up loose ends."

"Squall?!" Seifer called. "Are you here? Squall?!"

"Why would Diablos call Squall if he wants to kill you and me?" Zell asked of Seifer.

"He probably sees the whole group of us as a threat. Just easier to kill us all and worry about it later. Squall?!"

From somewhere in the strange dead city, they heard Squall call back. "Seifer.?"

"So, I guess Diablos wants to kill Squall now too," Seifer murmured, starting to walk up the street, careful where he stepped, since he couldn't see the ground through the thickening mist.

"Perhaps that's not it." Thuban trailed off. She pointed, and eventually a figure started to come from the blackness. It was Squall.

"What is this place?" Squall asked when he arrived at their position.

"I dunno," Zell muttered. He was too confused, and quite frankly scared, to remember to be angry with Squall. "But, it's fucking cold. Humans shouldn't be here. It just feels _wrong_."

Squall cocked his head, his scarred brow furrowing slightly. "Cold?" He asked. He didn't feel cold at all, and he didn't really understand what Zell meant about it feeling 'wrong'. True, this was a strange place, but he didn't have a pinpointed sense of wrongness about it. "Never mind that. Where's Rinoa?!"

"We haven't seen her," said Seifer. "We haven't seen anyone."

"I was with Selphie in the apartment, and then all of a sudden, I was here. And, I could feel that she was here. Leviathan also said that she was in danger."

"Where's Selphie?" Zell asked.

"She wasn't with me when I came here." Squall looked around, and then pointed towards something in the dead surroundings. "This way."

"What.? Hey, wait!" Seifer called as Squall started walking. Thuban was watching Squall with fascination, and followed at a distance behind the humans.

"I can feel her," Squall said, a sort of possession in his voice. "This way." They were walking down a thin alleyway between two grey and decaying buildings, that while they were there in sight, didn't feel like they were actually there. Seifer tried to reach out and touch one of the walls, but it just seemed to get farther and farther away the closer his fingers got.

"Seifer." Zell trailed off. "I don't feel so good." He stopped walking, having to catch his breath.

"Yeah me too." Seifer stroked the small of Zell's back, his stomach doing flip-flops. He felt like his insides were trying to be sucked out of his mouth. Squall kept walking ahead of them, either not feeling the effects of what they were feeling, or just not showing it. They started walking again because they didn't want to lose sight of Squall's white T-shirt in the blackness, but they were both finding it hard to put one foot in front of the other. Both felt starved for oxygen, and Seifer had to stop to vomit.

"Dincht." He called out weakly, stumbling. "It hurts." All the injuries he'd received during his fight with the re-animated Raijin were starting to not just ache, but hurt as if they were fresh.

"Squall!" Zell shouted, his voice dissipating into the sound vacuum. But, Squall had already stopped. Zell crouched beside Seifer in the mist, stroking his hair. Seifer's eyes were closed behind his glasses, and he looked as ashen and sweaty as Zell himself felt.

The reason Squall had stopped was because they were here. Zell had to cover his ears when a mechanical explosion rattled his bones. They looked into the blackness beyond Squall, and saw the silhouettes of a giant winged demon and a hulking machine warring with each other. Alexander's white wings glowed in the blackness, and Diablos was illuminated by the lightning coming from the swirling clouds all around them.

"Rinoa!" Squall shouted, seeing her crumpled form among the mist a few meters ahead of him, just beside the battle. He ran towards her, but was flung back by the heavy weight of a powerful Gravija spell. "Rinoa!!" He shouted again. She wasn't moving. Hyne, why was she even here?! With that wave of magic, Zell had to crawl away from Seifer so he could throw up. He could taste blood in his bile.

Squall ran towards her, the sound of Diablos and Alexander's magics clashing together deafening. He reached his wife, picking her up and dragging her to a safer distance. "Rinoa!" He called, lightly shaking her and slapping her cheeks. Her skin was very pale, and there were shadowy spots on her cheeks and arms, marks that almost looked like wires and cogs. Like she had mechanical implants under her skin.

"Alexander was using her as an Avatar," a serene voice informed. Manannan came out of the blackness. Thuban looked over at him, her arms crossed. "The same way you use us, I would guess."

"Why?" Squall demanded.

Manannan waved his arm, and Zell was able to stand up on his own, the terrible feeling within him lessening. Seifer rubbed his head, and was also able to stand. "That should help you cope with the Necrophage."

"Necrophage?" Zell echoed, remembering that book they'd found in Daeva's manor. "Isn't that a guild, a power base, and not an actual place?"

"Yes, and no." Manannan sighed. "Fey magic is very complex. Necrophage is the Dead Arts that the faeries of Daeva's time practiced, but they also created an arena for when they met in a large group, one that was unfriendly to the unmagical."

"You mean humans," Seifer interjected.

Manannan nodded. "Yes. Daeva has recreated it as an advantage over Alexander. Alexander countered with this barrier that only lets them be in true form. He knew that such a show of war on his part possessing Rinoa Heartilly to aggressively attack Daeva, would call us all out, especially Bahamut."

"Does Alexander really think this barrier will stop Father?" Thuban asked rhetorically. "Even if he can't change into true form, he has other resources," she added bitterly.

"If this place is so unfriendly to humans, why are we here? Why didn't we just land in normal Timber?"

"I believe Thuban guessed it was because Diablos wanted to get rid of you as well. She would be correct."

"He must want to kill me now, too." Squall didn't look up from Rinoa's face. She seemed to be gaining a little bit of colour back from whatever magic Manannan had cast over them.

Manannan and Thuban shared a look, but Seifer, Zell and Squall were distracted when Rinoa let out a scream, sitting up as if she'd woken from a nightmare, bolting to a straight position.

"Rinoa!" Squall exclaimed quietly, wiping some dirt off her forehead.

She was panting furiously, and looked up to see Squall's eyes. She let out a tortured noise and flung her arms around her husband's shoulders. "Oh, Squall."

"Are you okay?" He asked her after he'd hugged her tightly and gave her a big kiss. "Is the baby okay?'

She smiled sadly. "I. I'm not sure." She touched her belly. "I think so. I. Oh, I'm so sorry."

Squall hugged her again, kissing her hair and holding her as tightly as he could. She squeaked, but didn't tell him to let her go. "What happened?" He asked her finally.

"I. I don't know. I was having these dreams of our field, but I couldn't find you. Instead I found this priest. I don't really remember anything after our fight."

As Rinoa and Squall embraced, Zell's hand tight around one of his, Seifer looked up at the battle, wondering if humans seemed as cruel to Summons as Summons seemed to him right now. After all, humans used GF power for their own gain, as if they were mere servants or pets. He felt a cold blast of magic, and put his free hand in his pocket to warm it up. It was a coat he hadn't worn in a while, and he felt something in the pocket. Maybe it was money. But, it felt round. He pulled it out, and his eyebrows raised.

"What is that?" Zell asked quietly.

"Blackball." Seifer murmured quietly.

"Where'd you get that?"

"I haven't worn this coat since that fight at the Aphorora Pub." Seifer had to wrap his fist around the orb when an explosion of magic rocked everything around them. They all stumbled and fell over. It had come from Alexander, and whatever he'd fired from his machines had caused Diablos to fall from the sky, landing on the ground. Diablos made an awful hissing noise and leapt up. One of his wings seemed broken, but that didn't stop the demon. He dashed towards the hulking machine and the entire magical world shook with the spells he cast, calling up power from a bottomless well of ancient faerie magic. Another explosion rocked the environment, and this time it came from Alexander. The wings crumpled down from his bulk, Diablos still raining magic down on him.

Seifer got to his feet and uncurled his fist from around the single orb of Blackball. More explosions came from Alexander, and there was a long noise that sounded like someone pressing their hand down on a piano for a lengthy off-chord. It was Alexander screaming, and there was also laughter. The victorious laughter of Diablos. Seifer saw Diablos's demonic face turn away from Alexander, and those sulphuric yellow, evil eyes landing square on him and Zell, laughter still coming from behind sharp fangs. Seifer closed his fist around the Blackball again, and started muttering under his breath.

"Seifer.?" Zell asked, putting a hand on the other man's shoulder, which Seifer shrugged off, still chanting under his breath. It wasn't a magical spell he was chanting, but rather a spell that only Alchemists knew. It had no practical purpose in battle, but was extremely helpful to their craft. It was a spell of desynthesis. Items could be forged easily enough, but once forged, it was extremely hard to get them taken apart, and only high level Alchemists were taught desynth spells. It was part of the final exams. The reason only high-ranking Alchemists knew these spells was because some items became volatile if you tried to tear them apart. In his whole career, Seifer had only ever cast a desynthesis spell three times, including now. Because Blackball was no ordinary item, Seifer knew that it would be bad trying to rip it apart. But, he also knew that a lot of Diablos's magic was in that black orb, and it was really the only thing he could think to do, because Diablos was humming with power and confidence right now, and they were also in his created Necrophage. There was no way Seifer and Zell could survive as is. But, Seifer was banking on the fact that this specimen of Blackball was one of the only ones left, if not _the_ only one left, so Diablos's power within it would be extremely concentrated.

The Blackball shattered in Seifer's fist, the shards cutting his palm. When it broke apart, Diablos started screaming. He'd gotten into the air once more, but fell to the ground, the air mingled with an echo of Alexander's machinery trying to run, but failing, and Diablos wailing in pain.

"It's now or never, Dincht." Seifer had stupidly left Hyperion at home, but did have his combat knives, and Zell _always_ had his weapons. "And, don't ask what I did. No time." He started running towards the screaming demon.

Zell clamped his mouth shut, for he had been about to ask what Seifer had done. But, he couldn't argue with a window of opportunity like this. By the time Zell got to where Seifer was, the taller blonde was already drenched in Diablos's black blood, one of his knives embedded to the hilt in Diablos's chest. He had a huge cut on his forehead from one of Diablos's claws, and a combo of punches and kicks from Zell got an awful crack from Diablos's ribcage. Seifer used the other knife to slit Diablos's throat, but he couldn't complete the cut because he was thrown back from the demon by power that was so much stronger than anything he'd felt before. The weakness of the Blackball being broken apart must have worn off. But, no Diablos was still screaming and now clawing at the knife sticking out of him, as well as at his throat, which was spewing blood.

Seifer's head whipped up when he heard an awful scream coming from Zell. The smaller blonde's body was flying away from Diablos, but it wasn't from magic. It was from physical force. Seifer had to blink because he couldn't comprehend quite what he was seeing. But, when he realized what it was, he let out a scream too. "Zell!" He screamed as Zell was flung backwards like a rag doll, one of his arms going in the other direction. Zell was screaming, and the arm that he still possessed was snapped at the wrist before he was tossed completely away. Zell's arm had been cut off at the shoulder by a huge battleaxe, wielded in the hands of Etanin Alwaid. He stood to full height, looking beautiful and terrible, his eyes flashing green with livid anger and awesome power as he observed the battlefield. His axe was dripping with Zell's blood, and Seifer's lip curled up angrily. He didn't care if this was Bahamut, he wasn't going to let any man or any creature do that to Zell. He stood up, Etanin walking slowly towards him with brutal justice and vengeance written all over his face.

From behind Seifer, a ray bomb hit Diablos, exploding. The demon cried out in obvious pain, Alexander using still working guns and weapons to attack his downed opponent. Bahamut's eyes went over to Alexander's frame, and with the mere wave of his arm and flick of his fingers, Alexander exploded. Huge hunks of metal rained down around them. Seifer heard gasps, and saw that more than Thuban and Manannan had come to the fray. Djinn had one of his hands to his covered mouth. Even Leviathan looked surprised. But, not Thuban. She looked nervous, but not surprised. Etanin ignored Diablos bleeding out as he walked past, heading straight for Seifer. One of Seifer's knives was still in Diablos's chest, so he only had one. He would have to rely on fire magic and his martial arts, and also his fury on Zell's behalf. It only grew bigger and bigger because he could hear Zell whimpering in pain, the pool of blood around him growing and growing. It wasn't only coming from the stump of his arm, but also from a serious head wound from hitting the ground.

Seifer cast Firaga, and only got one arc of his arm before he felt his balance give way. But, he didn't fall to the ground as one of his legs was severed from his body by Etanin's great axe. He was being kept up by the sheer amount of blows Etanin was landing on him. Kicks and punches as he twirled the axe like it was a child's baton, though Seifer knew it must have weight five times that of Hyperion. Seifer's teeth were knocked out and clattered down on the ground as his chest was ripped open and one of his hands got cut off. He felt his orbital bone smash when he landed face-first on the ground, winding up on his back. His chest was broken open, air wafting over his organs. Seifer could hear Zell scream distantly, and even though he was dying in horrible agony, he was glad that he'd at least found a little bit of love in his life. It seemed to have made all the misery of being outcast for being the Sorceress's Knight all worth it.

"Father, stop!" Thuban shouted, running towards Etanin. "They were only defending themselves against Daeva!"

"Don't even speak to me, Thuban. My first priority is to the members of my court."

"I know that all too well." She started to cast magic on Seifer and Zell, but was halted by Etanin, who slapped her, stopping the stream of words from her mouth for the incantation. As Seifer and Zell gasped their last, excruciating breaths, Thuban slapped her father back, which caused him to stare at her in absolute shock. The other Summons also gasped, and Manannan tried to run towards them, but was held back by Parminder. He started to attack her with the axe, but she'd pulled out a lance with magical abilities. She may have been weakened considerably, but she was still Etanin's daughter, which meant that she had powers that others didn't always know were there.

"Even in our human lives, you'd never once attacked me. Yet, you do it now for two humans?"

"For myself too!" Thuban shouted at her father, cutting his cheek with her lance. She was flung backwards by the blunt end of the axe, but recovered quickly. "You say your priority is to your court, but I know that's a lie. I've _always_ been a member of your court, Father. In life, in death, and in everything after. And, yet, I've never seen any of your loyalty. These humans are the ones who show it to me, and I will pay it back."

"If only you'd been born a man."

"Even after all this time, you can't let go of your petty prejudices?" Thuban gasped as she was hit by one of her father's fists. She crumpled at his feet, gasping. "I only ever wanted you to love me," she whispered.

Etanin had been moving to cut a heavy downward stroke with his axe, but stopped. He put the axe on his back, looking down at her. Without a word, he turned his back to her, walking towards the center of the battlefield.

"You know, Father? When we died. I was pregnant. With a male heir."

Etanin closed his eyes, stretching his fingers out, palms facing the ground. The silver rings on his left ring finger, left thumb, and right middle finger glowed as magic spread out around him. Seifer heaved a painful breath, feeling like he was being cocooned in a warm blanket. He could hear mechanical noises loud in his ears as the pieces of Alexander fused back together. Seifer felt like going to sleep, like he was in his bed back home with Zell's arms wrapped around him. That awful blankness where his leg should have been felt whole again. After a few moments, he was able to sit up, his teeth back to the way they were. Zell had stood up already, and was running towards Seifer, but stopped when he got within the perimeter of Etanin, whose shadow was that of Bahamut. But, Etanin wasn't facing them. In fact, they were like insects to him now. Not even worth his attention.

He was facing Diablos and Alexander, and started to speak to them in the Summon Tongue. Squall had been watching the whole scene, absolutely horrified by Bahamut's display of cruel power. But, when Bahamut spoke to Diablos and Alexander, he was able to understand it.

__

Did I not warn you? Did I not say not to get involved with humans? Did I not say not to make trouble amongst each other? And, what do you do?

It was his fault! Diablos screamed. He'd also been cured by Etanin's healing spell. _He's the one that killed Nha'zora! He's the one that attacked me._

Silence! Etanin hissed. _You will talk no more, Daeva. You will only listen to me now. I give you so many chances, Daeva. But, you continued with your Blackball. And you, Alexander. You purposely possessed Squall Leonhart's wife in order to call out Diablos for a battle, after I warned you not to._

Someone had to stop him, Alexander interrupted.

Etanin laughed. _Oh, that was a **very** wrong answer, Priest. You want some justice put into this court? Fine._

Etanin's right index finger drew a pattern into thin air, much like he'd done with Seifer when he'd been in Esthar jail. But, this was a very different rune. _I hereby revoke the Lord of Light and the Lord of Darkness of their powers until such time that I deem the punishment is over._

When the rune was completed, both Daeva and Alexander shrunk from their true forms into that of their human forms. When it happened, Daeva let out a scream, looking at his hands, then at Etanin.

__

I will hold your powers in my possession, safe.

Alexander started quietly weeping into his hands, sinking down to his knees. Daeva would not accept this punishment so quietly, however. He dashed towards Etanin and started attacking him with punches and curses. "Xh'avarnah-doth avi Kvarkath!!" He yelled in Etanin's face, in his own language. "You fucking prick!"

"I gave you too many chances Daeva," Etanin answered, also speaking Daeva's ancient fey language.

"How can you do this to me?! You're even taking the powers I was born with! Fuck you, Eta!"

Etanin didn't reply, and he also didn't retaliate when Daeva hit his chest and face. Daeva started weeping, and Etanin gripped his wrists. "Do you think I want to do this to you, Berith?" Etanin asked, speaking very frankly and personally with Daeva since nobody else here spoke this language, not even the other Summons.

"Don't call me that!" Daeva screamed, starting to slump as his cheeks became soaked with tears. "You're no better than Ronouve-Sempra! You both call me Berith, and you both betray me."

"Daeva"

"Please." Daeva begged. "Please don't take my power away. I'll wither without it. A faerie can't live without magic."

"You won't die. I promise."

"Promise?!" Daeva laughed bitterly, but it was through tears. "Don't you dare say that word to me. Your promises are as worthless as Ronouve-Sempra's were."

"Daeva, do not compare me to him."

"What are you crying about?!" Daeva shouted at Alexander in Daphnic. "This is your fault, you fucker." He spoke Timber's language because he found that he could not speak the Summon Tongue anymore.

Alexander glared up at Daeva hatefully, and started to rise to his feet, but Etanin held up a hand. "Stay where you are, Alexander." The former Holy Summon knew what was good for him, and obeyed this request.

"Sempra may have burned me at the stake, but this is a million times worse, Eta. At least he never promised me love."

Etanin pulled Daeva into an embrace, not caring that they had an audience. Wrapping his arms around Daeva was tough since he was struggling and raging. "I don't wish to do this," he whispered in one of Daeva's pointed ears. "I wish I could believe your lies when you say you've learned your lesson."

"I'm not lying this time."

"Yes, you are." Etanin breathed in the smell of Daeva's hair, engraining it into his long memory. "I I will miss you dearly, my love." Etanin kissed Daeva's forehead, then his lips.

"Noooo," Daeva wailed, sliding down to his knees when Etanin released him. His hands were balled into fists on the ground as he wept. Thuban looked at the ground as her father passed her. They didn't share any words. Etanin just walked past Seifer and Zell as if he hadn't done anything to them. An orb of violet light came from Daeva, and an orb of white light came from Alexander, both shooting towards Etanin. Those orbs became glass balls with swirling energy inside, both as small as marbles. They landed in Etanin's palm, and when he closed his hand and opened it again, they were gone. When the marble of violet power vanished, they found themselves in a place that Seifer recognized as Mandy Beach. They weren't that far from his house. Bahamut must have teleported them here so they wouldn't wind up in the middle of a busy city street. The King of Summons gave a nod to Squall as he passed him, then made a gesture with a finger for the other Summons to follow him. They did so without question. Seifer was sure that none of them wanted to get what Daeva and Alexander had gotten.

"What happened.?" Zell whispered to Seifer, his rubbing his arm, which was as good as new.

"Bahamut stripped Diablos and Alexander of their powers," Squall answered quietly, helping Rinoa to her feet. She was staring at Alexander with fear in her chocolate brown eyes. "For some reason, I could understand when he was talking to them in that music language. But I couldn't understand anything he said after that to Diablos."

Daeva wasn't paying Seifer, Zell, Squall or Rinoa any attention. He was too wrapped up in how empty he felt without his powers. In all his millions of years, even before his transformation into Diablos, he'd always had magic. He felt naked without it. He felt like an abomination. Every fey had magic in their blood. He looked up through his hair and through his tears, and saw Alexander slowly rising to his feet, also looking miserable. "This is your fault," Daeva hissed under his breath. "This is all your fault!" He shouted, fist circling around the hunting knife of Seifer's that had been in his chest. He got up and ran towards Alexander, tackling the priest to the ground and starting to stab him over and over and over again. He screamed in rage when he saw the stab wounds were healing on Alexander's chest almost as quickly as Daeva was inflicting them. He slit Alexander's throat angrily, and was sprayed with human blood, but the wound closed itself up. Alexander shoved Daeva off, coughing on some of his own blood.

"Father would have made sure that you didn't die while in human form," Thuban murmured. She of course hadn't followed when Bahamut had silently asked the other Summons to follow him. "It would also prevent you from doing something stupid at the height of emotion like ending your own existence."

Daeva started cursing at her in his language, getting to his feet. His black and blue eyes then turned to Seifer and Zell. Without his faerie magic, Daeva was easier to look at. Along with all his magical power, his glamour magic had also been taken from him. He was still achingly beautiful to behold, but looked far more real. "I guess my prediction came true, after all. I may still be alive, but you have destroyed me." He still had his hand tightly around the hilt of Seifer's knife. "I may not be able to harm myself or Alexander, but that doesn't apply to you." He dashed forward with speed and agility. Though without faerie magic, Daeva still possessed all their quickness and grace. But, as he moved to slice at Seifer with the knife, Daeva was flung backwards, landing in a heap in the grass.

"Father's protection rune on them still stands, Daeva."

"How long are we going to be like this?" Alexander asked, running shaking fingers through his golden hair.

"Hopefully forever!" Rinoa hissed. "You deserve it." She looked down at her hands and let out a quiet sob. Much of her skin was covered in those mechanical looking marks, like someone had burned the pattern of a circuit board into her flesh. She gasped when Seifer took her wrist in his hand. Squall looked at Seifer with hostility, like he didn't like the other man touching his wife. Even though he knew Seifer was in a relationship with Zell, a _man_ for Hyne's sake, he still thought of the fact that Seifer and Rinoa had dated as teenagers. She winced a little bit. Squall protectively wrapped his arms around his wife and glowered at Seifer.

"Oh grow up," Seifer muttered, touching Rinoa's face, tracing the red scars on her face. "I can get rid of those for you."

"You can?" She asked. "But how?"

Seifer touched his forehead, drawing a diagonal line between his pale eyebrows. "The same way I got rid of this."

"Really.?"

"Though, I think you should chill out first. You've been through a lot." He touched his wrist. "I think we all need to rest."

"Come here," Thuban said, stretching her arms out to them. "I'll transport you quickly."

Seifer and Zell expected her to turn into a dragon again, but instead she teleported them, none of them giving Daeva or Alexander a backwards glance.

Daeva stared at where they'd all been standing, panting because he was so angry and upset. He took a few deep breaths and collected himself. Part of his mind wondered if this was some awful joke, and Etanin would come out of nowhere and laugh at him. Daeva stood and looked around, but nobody came. No, he wouldn't come. Eta had been serious. He wouldn't have kissed Daeva in front of a bunch of humans if he hadn't been. He started to realize that he would have to think rationally, because he was stuck here. He felt weight in the pockets of the clothing that he was wearing. These weren't his own clothes, and were garments that Bahamut had endowed upon him. He put his hands in the pockets, and found what the weight was. It was money. It wasn't a large sum or anything, just enough for food and maybe to survive a week without employment. Daeva's hands shook as he looked at the bills and coin. It had been millions of years since he'd last had to deal with human currency, or to have to actually _work_. In fact, Daeva had never had a real job. He'd dealt with the fey, and after they'd thrown him out, he'd become a member of Sempra's court. He counted the money, and studied it. If he was to survive as a human, he would have to blend into human society, something he didn't have great confidence in doing. His looks, pointed ears and faerie eyes were already against him.

He turned to face the distant Timber skyline, but he found he couldn't move. He couldn't even take a single step towards that city of humans. God he was one of them now. He slowly slid to his knees in the grass, the weight of it hitting him like a truck. He couldn't do this. He hadn't lived among humans as a human _ever_. How would he survive? He heard footsteps in the grass, Alexander walking past him. The former Holy Summon said nothing to Daeva, and just started walking towards Timber. But, Daeva could see the tired worry in the way the Priest held his shoulders. After all, they may have hated each other, but they knew each other very well. Daeva wasn't sure how long he was there, kneeling in the grass near the beach, smelling the ocean. It smelled like Leviathan. He was sure that Bahamut would instruct all the others of the Court to stay away from them, to completely ostracize them from their world, their _home_. Daeva wasn't even sure the time of day. Human time was so much different, and now he was lost in it. He balled his hands into fists, sliding down so he was laying in the grass, the fresh smell filling his nostrils. His movement caused a dead dandelion to release its seeds. They floated up all around Daeva, and were taken away by the wind, towards the city that had been Diablos's grave after all.

Seifer stirred some hearty mushroom soup on the stove. Thuban had transported them all to Seifer's house, and then disappeared. Seifer got the feeling that she wanted to be alone with her thoughts now, especially because that was probably the first time in a long time that she'd even spoken to her father. A long time being an understatement, Seifer was sure. Squall had wanted to go back to the city right away, but Rinoa was too wiped out, so Seifer invited them to stay, at least until she could walk by herself. But, she was still too wound up to sleep, and was sitting on the couch, curled up against her husband, trying to tell them exactly what happened for the third time. But, it wasn't really doing much good, since she couldn't remember. Seifer put the soup into mugs and brought them out. "Here," he said quietly.

"Thanks" She took the mug between her hands, the warmth making her feel better. "I should go to a doctor to get the baby checked out. What if Alexander did something?"

"I'm sure you're fine." Seifer sat in his favourite chair. Zell was pacing around, stroking his shoulder. Seifer knew exactly how he felt, since he wanted to rub his groin line and his wrist, just to feel that his leg and hand were actually there again, and he kept running his tongue over his teeth, still hearing them clattering to the ground.

"What do you think will happen to Alexander and Diablos?" Rinoa asked.

"I don't know," Seifer murmured. "They'll survive obviously, since they can't die, but. They're both millions of years old. I'm sure they've forgotten how to live as humans. I guess it's a worse punishment than death."

"I can't get over how fast it happened," Zell mused, still pacing. "I didn't even see him coming, and then. I was falling."

"I'm just glad he put us back together." Seifer slumped in the chair, looking across to Squall, who looked _very_ distracted, even for him.

Rinoa noticed too, and she tapped his knee gently. "Squall.? What are you thinking?"

"Just about what happened," Squall answered with a shrug. But in truth, he was thinking about the fact that he could understand what the GF had been saying in their own language. Did it have something to do with why Leviathan had been following him? "I want to get Rinoa back to the city to see a doctor."

"Will it kill you to be under my roof?" Seifer asked, raising an eyebrow at Squall.

"You're not a doctor."

"Squall" Rinoa trailed off quietly. "We're all exhausted, and not really in a position to drive. My skin hurts more than anything. I think I'd feel it if something were wrong with me. Actually, aside from being tired, I feel kind of good. It's hard to explain."

"Bahamut must have done something," Zell muttered, still restless.

"Sit down, Dincht. You're making me dizzy." Seifer wiggled his fingers.

Zell sat on the arm of Seifer's chair, looking anywhere but at Squall. Zell knew now was not the time to air dirty laundry with his former best friend, but he still couldn't help but be mad at him. But, Zell had enough sense to keep his big mouth shut this time.

"Can can you really fix these marks?" Rinoa asked. She was wrapped in a blanket that Fujin had crocheted for Seifer years ago. Back before Raijin had become addicted to Blackball. Seifer had to close his eyes in pain when memories of a healthy and happy Raijin flooded over him.

"Yes," Seifer answered when he'd composed himself. "I can. But, I'll wait until after a doctor's checked you out." He cocked his head. "So, you ready to be a mommy?"

She smiled sheepishly. "I don't know. It just sort of happened, but I've always wanted a baby." She looked cautiously at Squall out of the corner of her eye.

"How do you feel?" Seifer asked.

"I'm looking forward to it," Squall answered truthfully. When he'd thought Rinoa had vanished on him, all he'd thought of was how much he loved her, and what if something terrible had happened to her or the baby. His baby. _Their baby_. That was all he said on the subject.

"You two can take our bed," Seifer offered politely. "I'll work on getting the ingredients together for the salve, at least. I can get you fresh towels, too." He got up and started to find such things.

Zell followed after him, smiling at Rinoa and patting her shoulder in a friendly way. He and Squall just stared at each other. There wasn't room for anger on Zell's part now, but even from Squall's side, things were just terribly awkward.

"_Our_ bed?" Zell after he'd followed Seifer upstairs. The taller blonde was taking towels out of the linen closet.

"Well, we do sort of share it, don't we? Hence, _our _bed."

Zell smiled, cocking his head. He closed the gap between them, resting his chin on Seifer's shoulder. "I'm still shaking. I just. I lost my arm. You lost your leg, your hand" He sighed. "I mean, he ripped you open" He watched sadly as Seifer put the towels on the dresser. "You could have died."

"So could you." He looked over at Zell, and then they collected each other in a bone-crushing embrace. Zell gasped, but it wasn't from pain. It was from joy, and from relief. Seifer's fingers stroked his shoulder and his face, their lips mashing together. Zell moaned as if they were in the middle of sex, his heart exploding within him. He whispered Seifer's name, and he so wished that they were alone so they could be even closer than they were now. He wanted to feel Seifer inside him, to feel that he really was okay and in one piece. There were so many times in such a short period of time that they both could have died, that Zell could have lost Seifer. It was actually funny; there were so many periods in his childhood where Zell would have liked nothing better than to never see Seifer Almasy again, and to have him eradicated from the face of the earth, but now now it was so different. Now, that was his worst nightmare.

Zell wrapped his arms around Seifer's shoulders, letting the hug linger. "So, where are we going to sleep?"

"Downstairs," Seifer murmured, finally letting go of Zell. "We can take the cushions off the couch and use them on the floor. It will probably be more comfortable."

Zell frowned. "Too bad. We would have had really hot sex."

"We could lock ourselves down in the basement," Seifer murmured. "I just think Rinoa needs the bed right now. Hyne knows how long she was being controlled by Alexander, and she's pregnant." He trailed off. Seifer rubbed his forehead. "I don't know why I always seem to get stuck in the middle of these sorts of things. I guess I'm not destined for a normal life."

"Some people are just special. Look at all of us"

"Special?" Seifer echoed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I just want to be like everyone else" He laughed bitterly, playing with a button on the front of Zell's shirt. "Never mind me. Just wallowing in self-pity."

"I think you're allowed a little of that, especially after all that's happened." Zell put his hands on Seifer's broad shoulders, quietly and slowly letting out his breath as Seifer's cheek rested against his stomach.

"You're not wallowing."

"I think because I'm still in shock." He bowed forward and smiled into Seifer's blonde hair.

They looked to the doorway when Rinoa cleared her throat. Squall was holding her elbow, and she looked completely exhausted. "Sorry didn't mean to interrupt." She didn't look embarrassed, like Squall did, but rather had a serene smile on her face despite her weariness.

"It's no problem. In the morning, we'll take you to the hospital." Seifer rose to his feet, looking around when he heard the phone ringing. He furrowed his brow. "Wonder who that is"

"It's mine." Squall pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the number being displayed. "Selphie. Squall here."

"Hyne, Squall! You're alive!" She shouted happily into the phone, loud enough that he had to pull it away from his ear. "What the hell happened to you? All of a sudden, you were gone. You were right beside me, and then you weren't."

"It's a long story," Squall muttered. "Let's just say that our mission has changed dramatically."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Diablos isn't going to be a problem anymore."

"Meaning.?" Selphie asked. "You know what? Never mind. You can tell me in person. Where are you?"

"Rinoa and I are at Seifer's."

"Rinoa?!" She exclaimed. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. We're just going to rest now, and go to the hospital in the morning."

"Hospital?!" Selphie exclaimed loudly.

"Calm down. We're all fine. It's just a precaution, and a check-up for the baby."

"Oh, that's good to hear. Wait uh, baby?"

"Rinoa's pregnant."

"Huh?"

"I suppose I forgot to mention it. Look we'll talk later."

"Okay. Me and Irvine are just glad to hear that you're okay. And, congratulations on being a daddy, I guess!" She sighed into the phone, laughing a little. "Well, whatever happened, it affected Matron, too."

"Matron?" Squall echoed. "What's wrong with her?"

Seifer cocked his head, his ears perking up at the mention of Edea.

"I got a call from Cid. He saw what was happening, and I guess he knew what it would do to her being a witch and all. I guess she collapsed because of all the magic in the air. Sir Laguna's called in a doctor from Esthar. Y'know, since they know more about magic and all that. I'm here now with them. Is is Seifer okay? Cid's asking about him."

"He's fine. We'll just come to Edea's hotel room tomorrow morning and discuss things then, okay?"

"Fine."

He hung up.

"What was she saying about Edea?" Seifer asked, trying to show only mild curiosity in his voice.

"All the magic in the air made her collapse," Squall said.

"That's not really surprising," Rinoa mused. "She is the most powerful Sorceress in the world, after all."

"What about your magic?" Zell asked of her as she sat on the bed, a small smile spreading across her face. The bed felt very warm and comfortable, which was a very welcome thing right then. "How is it?"

"Seems intact. I'm a weak Sorceress compared to Edea I can only imagine how weak I must be compared to Alexander. Or, I guess, how powerful he used to be." She stared into space for a few moments, reclining against the pillows. "To think that I Junctioned him for years and , for this to happen."

"Don't think about it now," Squall told her quietly, sitting on the bed beside his wife. He didn't want her to talk about that, since it would make him realize that he'd also Junctioned Diablos for years and years. "Just rest."

"If you need anything, I'll just be downstairs," Seifer said, ushering Zell out of the room.

"Squall?" Rinoa asked after they'd settled down, Squall spooning her. "I'm sorry we fought."

"Don't apologize," he said into her silken hair. "The fight was my fault anyway. I just."

"You don't have to say anything," she assured after he'd trailed off. She squeezed his hand and melted into his arms. "I know Squall. I know."

"I heard the tone of your voice, you know?"

"Tone?" Seifer asked, looking at some jars on the pantry shelves in his basement. He was looking for the items he could give to Rinoa to get rid of the scars Alexander had bestowed upon her.

"When you asked about what Selphie said about Edea."

"What do you mean?" Seifer asked, pulling out some Mesmerize Blades and examining them, finally pulling out the one of highest quality.

"You care about her."

"I was just curious."

"You care." Zell put his hand on the small of Seifer's back. "I know you're mad at her, and feel betrayed, but you do care."

Seifer narrowed his eyes and looked down into Zell's face. "The same as your feelings about Squall."

Zell's face darkened. "That's different."

Seifer pursed his lips and pulled a jar of magic stones off the shelf in front of him.

"Oh, what?" Zell asked. "You want to say something nasty, right?"

"No, not nasty," Seifer replied, putting the items on a table. "I don't want to argue with you. Not now."

Zell nodded, putting his other hand on Seifer's stomach, tracing the lines of his abdominal muscles through his shirt. "I agree. You want to finish looking at items later?" Zell rose to his tip-toes, nibbling Seifer's earlobe. "Squall and Rinoa can't hear us down here."

"You know my hands are still shaking when I think about what happened." He turned to fully face Zell. "I would have missed you, Chicken-Wuss."

"Way to ruin a perfectly loving moment, jerk." Zell gently popped Seifer in the shoulder, though the taller man still winced. "Sorry." He laughed quietly as he was picked up off the floor, and put on the table. He gently moved the items to the other side so they wouldn't be disturbed, and wrapped his legs around Seifer's hips. He was slammed back against the table, his head grazing off the unforgiving surface. Seifer didn't apologize, and Zell didn't want him to. When he'd just been standing next to Seifer and touching him, things had felt gentle and loving, but now that Seifer's hands were sweeping down his body like this, and tugging at his clothes, Zell felt that it was far more primal. Zell had thought that he and Seifer would be slow and seductive, whispering their affection for each other in a romantic, romance-novel kind of way. But, he just felt the urge to _fuck_. He wanted Seifer inside him, hard and forceful and powerful, and he wanted Seifer to just use his body until it couldn't be used anymore. He wanted to feel how fucking alive he knew he would feel because of it.

Seifer crawled up onto the table, his mouth covering Zell's. No, not covering it. _Devouring it_. He didn't even get Zell's pants off all the way, and he only unzipped his as much as he needed to. His exposed genitals rubbed against Zell's, and they both moaned at the friction. The head of Seifer's erection rubbed against Zell's cock, and then against his scrotum, then between his ass cheeks, feeling the puckered entrance to Zell's body against him. "Shit," Seifer cursed, pulling off Zell. He went across the room on shaking legs, and started going through the drawers with shaking hands, his genitals hanging out of his undone pants.

Zell groaned, writhing on the tabletop. Seifer found some condoms in the desk, and ripped one open, stalking back to the table.

"Why'd you have condoms down here?" Zell asked. He groaned loudly as he was roughly impaled. Maybe he should keep it down a little bit. He was used to him and Seifer being the only ones around, and was usually very vocal in bed because of it. True, Rinoa and Squall were on the second floor and they were in the basement, but sound could carry. Zell gripped a handful of Seifer's hair, tearing Seifer's glasses off his face and putting them across the table with the items. He kissed Seifer, devouring his mouth right back. At least when they were kissing so deeply like this, Seifer's mouth could muffle his moans. It kind of hurt because of the lack of lubricant, but the pleasure far outweighed the pain. Seifer's hips slammed against his, and Zell hooked his legs up over Seifer's shoulders. They both groaned, their fingers working like they had minds of their own, trailing over each other's flesh as they choked on each other's tongues, Seifer pounding into Zell so forcefully that Zell felt bruises on his ass from Seifer's pelvis, and his legs were starting to tingle.

"They came in handy, didn't they?" Seifer asked between pants, licking Zell's face.

"Oh God, fuck me" Zell demanded as they practically slobbered all over each other. They rolled over, almost falling off the table, Zell moving his legs when he wound up straddling Seifer's hips. He rode him, back arched, thrusting down hard enough that the table was scraping against the floor. Zell groaned at the sounds Seifer was making. He laughed a very masculine and sexual laugh when Seifer gasped and moaned like a professional whore. Zell bowed forward, licking Seifer's face like a dog or cat would. "You're so fucking hot." Zell's shirt was starting to stick to his back and armpits because of the sweat, and his fingers clawed down Seifer's chest as he rode his erection as thoroughly as he could. Seifer was panting and calling Zell's name, which made the smaller blonde's hips move faster and harder.

They both were just moaning incoherently by the time they came. Zell collapsed on top of Seifer, his hands still seeking out the feel of Seifer's body under his fingertips. Seifer's hands were curling and uncurling in Zell's hair. "I love you," Zell desperately whispered when he'd finally caught his breath.

"I know, Dincht. I love you too."

"I know, too." Zell rested his head on Seifer's chest, sighing as his hair was still absently stroked by Seifer's fingers. Then, for some reason, he felt tears stinging his eyes, and then he was crying. He started weeping into Seifer's chest, fists bunching his shirt. Seifer didn't ask him what was wrong, and just held him tightly. After all, Seifer had been there, too. Zell felt Seifer's fingers and arms shaking, then his whole body, and knew that Seifer was crying too. Neither needed to say anything, since they knew the other was thinking and feeling and appreciating the exact same thing. Thinking about all that had happened, and how close they'd come to death, or mutilation. Feeling love for each other, and appreciating being alive, given a second chance by the same being that had almost killed them. Eventually, they pulled apart, wiping their cheeks without shame, and began straightening themselves up. Zell kissed Seifer goodnight and went up the stairs, changed his clothes, arranged the long couch cushion on the floor and curling up. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as the big bed upstairs, but Zell was so weary that it felt like heaven. He crashed, but briefly woke up later when he felt Seifer curl up next to him. He smiled as he felt Seifer's breath against the curl of his ear, and a shiver of pure happiness went through his body when he felt Seifer's heartbeat against him. It felt real. It felt Alive.

Edea's eyes fluttered open, and everything was blurry. She had to blink a few times to clear her vision. She heard voices that sounded muted and faraway, like she was listening to people talking from underwater.

"Oh, thank Hyne! She's awake!" Edea blinked again when she saw a blur of colours appear in her gaze. Upon focusing, she saw that it was Laguna leaning over her, his eyes full of unshed tears, his hair swung over one shoulder, trickling down and tickling the side of Edea's face because he was leaning so closely.

Edea struggled to get to a sitting position, even with Laguna protesting every movement she made. She saw Cid standing at the foot of her bed. He was standing farther away from her than Laguna was. He was gripping one of the posts of the bed, his knuckle nearly white. Seifer was standing beside him, hands casually in the pockets of his black leather jacket, his extremely handsome face showing no emotion either way.

"How." She shook her head, clearing it. "How long was I out?"

"So, you remember?" Laguna asked, brushing some of her ebony hair off her face. Cid narrowed his eyes behind his glasses, glaring more hatefully at Laguna than he'd ever glared at anyone in his life.

"Yes. What was it, exactly?"

"Diablos and Alexander decided to duke it out," Seifer answered coolly, running his gloved fingers through his hair in a casual gesture. "That much power in the air was too much for a witch to handle."

Edea nodded. "That makes sense. I'd never felt more powerful magic in my life. What what happened? Hyne did Diablos try to kill you again?" She asked of Seifer, starting to get off the bed to go to him.

"Lay down!" Laguna commanded, gently pushing her back down on the many pillows.

Seifer shrugged a shoulder. "No, actually Diablos didn't get a chance to try to kill me. Etanin did that all on his own."

"Who's Etanin?" Laguna asked. Seifer hadn't spoken of any of the dealings the night before with them. He'd just talked quietly to Cid about Edea's condition, about Rinoa, and about Zell's situation at Garden.

"The human form of Bahamut."

"Bahamut?!" Cid exclaimed, turning to his son. The anger he'd been showing in his eyes towards Laguna immediately turned to concern.

"Let's put it this way," Seifer said, putting his hands back in his pockets. "If you ever see Bahamut's human form coming towards you with an axe, you better hope he cures you afterwards, too."

"What did Bahamut do to you?" Cid asked.

"Cut off Zell's arm, cut off my leg and hand and ripped me open. Let's not forget causing Alexander to explode."

Edea gasped. "How. Something like that exploding in the city must have caused such damage!"

"It was in a different world. A world of Diablos's creation. It was like a parallel dimension."

"Oh." She winced as she pressed her elbow into the mattress. She rubbed it, looking at it.

"You must have hit it when you fell," Laguna murmured, taking Edea's hand. Cid's lip curled up in a sneer, and he dropped her hand like it was on fire. Seifer was also watching the whole scene with mild interest. He was standing beside his father, and while it was just coincidence, it looked like a united family front to the President.

"Anyway, you'll be able to read it all in Squall's report. Since Diablos isn't going to be trouble anymore, their SeeD mission is kind of over."

"What do you mean?" Edea asked. "Is Diablos dead?"

"No. Sort of." Seifer sighed, cocking his head. "I'm not sure exactly what happened, because GF speak their own language to each other, but Squall somehow understood it, and Bahamut's punishment to Diablos for the whole Blackball thing, and to Alexander for possessing Rinoa, was to take their powers away."

"Possessing Rinoa?!" Edea sat up again, getting out of bed. She wobbled, and only Cid's arms catching her prevented her from falling down again. "What happened to her? As a Sorceress."

"She's fine," Seifer said, picking up a knick-knack on the table and casually examining it. "Alexander wasn't interested in her power. It was nothing compared to him."

"Wait GF can lose their powers?" Laguna asked. "And, Squall was in on this.? Is my son okay?" He asked desperately.

"He's fine. You should probably go to the hospital and see him and Rinoa. I'm sure they have big news for you. And, don't flip out. They're just there for a check-up on Rinoa. Nothing serious. We're all fine." He turned to Cid and Edea. "Diablos and Alexander aren't GF anymore. They're in human form, because Bahamut took their power, and is holding it as punishment. I guess they'll be GF again someday, but that could be a long time, long after we're all dead, probably."

"But if Diablos is human, he could just come and kill you." Edea reached out for her son, stroking his cheek. She noticed that Seifer had a glow about him. The glow of love.

"Bahamut took care of that. Some sort of rune prevents him from attacking me or Zell, and it also prevents them from dying or killing each other or themselves."

"Themselves?" Cid asked.

"Think about it if you were millions of years old, and suddenly lost all your powers, I'm sure you'd get a little suicidal. Especially because Diablos was a faerie when he was alive."

"A faerie." Laguna trailed off with almost reverence. He'd always found faeries to be fascinating, but had never heard of a real one. "So, he would have been magical before he became Diablos."

"Yes. And, to suddenly _not_ be magical" Seifer shrugged one of his broad shoulders. "Well, you seem fine, so I'm going to leave." He went towards the door.

"Wait!" Edea called. "Please, Seifer." She looked up at Cid, and realized she was still in his arms. She smiled gingerly at him. He didn't smile back, but his eyes did show anguish. He let her go and pursed his lips, turning away. "Don't go. I can't bear for you to walk out of my life."

"You were the one who walked out of my life," Seifer replied, his tone suddenly frosty. "I just need time. Just like I'm sure you and Cid need time to work out what's happened." He opened the door. "It's not like I'm moving anytime soon. You'll know where we are." He said something lowly to Cid about Zell, and then closed the door behind him. Edea knew that the 'we' had referred to Seifer and Zell. She watched as Cid and Seifer conversed. Father and son. She sighed and straightened her shoulders, already feeling much stronger.

"Cid.?" She asked.

"What?" He asked tersely.

"How did I get in the bed? I fell on the floor."

Cid pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I must not have called you in time. I saw what was happening, and knew how it would affect you."

"I did hear the phone," she answered. "I just couldn't get to it before I blacked out.

"I came to check on you, and saw you on the floor."

"Oh, Cid." She pursed her lips. "Thank you." She reached out to touch his hand. "Do you think that we could talk?"

"I have Garden business to attend to," he said.

"Cid, please!" She begged quietly. "I want us to be a family again." She reached out for him again. "I want us to be a couple again, and I want to try and be a family with Seifer."

Laguna bit his lower lip, turning his face away from them. He knew Edea was doing the right thing, but it still hurt. He really did love her.

"I can't trust you, Edea."

She closed her eyes, a tear trickling down her cheek. "I know. I really want to earn your trust again."

Cid's eyes turned to Laguna with hostility. "How can I believe that when I know you have real feelings for _him_?"

"I love you, Cid."

He closed his eyes, and when he spoke again, his voice was so small and tired. "I love you too, Edea. But, that's not enough right now. I'm sorry." He bowed to kiss her hands, and then left. She sank to the floor, bringing her hands to her mouth.

"Edea, are you okay?" Laguna asked, crouching beside her. "You should have stayed in bed"

"Just go," she whispered. "Please, Laguna. Just. Just go, okay?"

"Edea."

"Please!" She started quietly weeping.

Laguna put his fist to his mouth, hating to see her cry like this. But, he of course couldn't refuse her request. Not when both her husband and son had shrugged her off. He hated to leave her such a fragile emotional state, but it was their lust that put them in this position in the first place, so it just would have been cruel and selfish of him not to leave. He collected his jacket and left, deciding to take Seifer's advice and go to the hospital. He needed to concentrate less on what he felt for Edea, for a married woman, and more on his son and daughter-in-law. He'd spent so much time trying to build a relationship with Squall, and trying to get Squall to respect him, and he'd brushed that all away in one act of sexual urge with Edea. He jabbed the elevator call button, and when it came and the doors slid shut around him, he slumped to the elevator's floor, tears blinding his vision.

Squall was finishing giving his report to Quistis via video conference from their apartment in Timber. Selphie was pretty silent, since the only thing she'd had to contribute was saying that Squall had disappeared right beside her. Seifer and Zell were also there, since they knew as much as Squall did. They were also waiting because Seifer was going to give Rinoa the salve he'd made for her scars. The baby had turned out to be perfectly fine, and the news that he was going to be a grandpa made Laguna joyous, though everyone had noticed how his eyes had been rimmed with red from tears of sadness. Xu was on the Balamb end with Quistis, and would glare at Seifer and Zell the whole time. Seifer just smiled at her, the loathsome cunt.

"Okay," Quistis said after absorbing all that Squall and Selphie, with some interjections by Zell (Seifer was very silent), had said. "I will recall Squall, Selphie and Irvine back to Garden, where we will finish up with the debriefing. A decision will be made then upon how we will go about keeping an eye on Diablos and Alexander while they're here, as humans."

"How will we find them?" Irvine asked. "I'm sure they've vanished by now. And. Why bother?"

"Well, once wind of this hit Esthar, Kiros and Odine's labs expressed interest. Odine may be gone, but his ideals about magical research are still around."

At the mention of Odine, Xu's eyes slid noticeably to Seifer. His upper lip curled, but he stayed quiet. Zell tried not to look at her, since being around during all this SeeD stuff was already making his temper starting to burn, and if he stared at Xu giving Seifer smug stares and looking all content with herself, he was going to flip out.

"I'm sure that they could give insight into magic, and even though they don't have their powers anymore, I'd still consider them dangerous," Quistis continued. "Wouldn't you agree."

All three SeeD nodded silently.

"Okay, then this concludes the briefing." Quistis smiled at them. "It's good to see that you're all okay."

"I think we're all glad to be okay, too." Rinoa looked across the room, smiling brightly when Seifer pulled out a jar of the salve he'd promised her. She got up and took it from him, offering quiet thanks. He just waved it off and took Zell's hand, going towards the door. He didn't want to be here anymore, and he knew Zell didn't, either. He'd known just from the look on Zell's face, but he could also feel it in the way Zell was holding his hand. He was definitely holding back a lot of anger.

"Zell.?" Quistis's voice called from the monitor. "Are you still there?"

Zell frowned, but walked over so he was in Quistis's sight. "What?"

"Listen" She trailed off. "I know that things ended badly at the Tribunal. But."

Zell laughed harshly. "What? Want me to come back and do some job that doesn't need a SeeD card? I don't want to come back Quistis. I don't want to come back to a place that is so full of bigotry and small-minded people." He stared at Xu when he said that sentence.

"Was that directed at me?" Xu asked. "I should be directing comments at you for turning your back on Garden, especially with someone like Seifer Almasy. A blackmailing traitor."

"You're the fucking traitor," Zell hissed. "You always seemed goal-oriented to me, Xu. But, now you only seem like a power-hungry bitch who would betray even her best friend to gain a little more leverage."

"What, because I didn't want you in this school anymore?"

"Because it was Seifer. You're afraid of him coming anywhere near Garden again." Zell's pale eyes slowly moved to Quistis. "I'd watch my back if I were you, Quisty." He got up and moved away from the screen.

"Zell!" Quistis called, but the short blonde wasn't paying any attention. He was already moving to leave. Squall was kind of standing near the door, and Zell just waved his hand.

"No, Squall. Just. I just need time."

"Whoa" Seifer muttered to himself as he followed Zell down the stairwell. "Déjà vu."

"Huh?" Zell asked when they got out to the sidewalk.

"What you said to Squall" Seifer trailed off as he took Zell's hand while they walked. "I said the same thing to Edea this morning."

Zell and Seifer walked for a while, enjoying the crisp yet sunny day. "So you never told me why do you and Xu hate each other so much?"

"Oh" Seifer glowered a little, eyes darkening behind his glasses. "Because of the first time we took the SeeD exam. We were sent to Deling because of this syndicate that was running guns." He sighed. "Xu was Captain, and even then we always argued. But, I argued with anyone, so I guess it's not a surprise. Her unit went in, and wound up getting ambushed. Xu turned tail and ran as two of the cadets under her had guns to their heads."

Zell furrowed his brow, stopping. This caused Seifer to have to stop too, since their hands were joined. "Serious?"

"Very," Seifer murmured.

"Did they die?"

Seifer nodded. "I saw it happen."

"Where were you?"

"Coming in from another side of the compound that they were holing themselves up in." They started walking again. "I saw them get their heads blown off as Xu just fucking _left them behind_." He hissed. "I killed the guys, but it couldn't save them. They were just kids like we were, dying crying and begging for their lives, calling for their mothers. I could never forgive her for that. She got heralded as a hero because she brought in the syndicate head, but I saw it for what it was: just compensation for what she'd done or rather, not done."

"I can't believe it," Zell whispered.

"Believe it," Seifer spat. "That's why she hates me, and why I hate her. Whenever she saw me in school, she was reminded of what she'd done, and how she'd let them die, how their blood was on her hands. She was afraid that I would tell on her."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because she should tell what she did herself. I never let her forget it, though."

"Just wow." Zell and Seifer kept walking to where Seifer had parked his truck. "I guess that explains a lot."

"I don't really want to talk about it." Seifer opened the driver's side door. "I just want to go home, and worry about shit like having to get up for work in the morning."

Zell slid into the passenger side. "Yeah, and I have to think about an actual job." He slumped against the seat. "I wonder if my pig-headedness just prevented me from getting a job offer from Quistis."

Seifer shrugged a shoulder as he drove. "Maybe. But, it would have been a Rinoa job, you realize? A job that they need done, but that no SeeD are going to be given, because they're put to better use doing the 'real' jobs. Rinoa doesn't care because she's never been SeeD before. She thinks she's helping. But, how would you feel?"

"Shitty," Zell answered, looking out the window as they drove out of Timber. "And, it would feel degrading. Besides, I could never go back to see people who tried to oust me just because I'm in love with you."

"Maybe if it weren't me, they would have overlooked it."

"But, it _is_ you." Zell arched an eyebrow and a grin spread over his mouth. "Maybe I could have kept being a SeeD if I'd found another 'right' man, but I would have had to walk on eggshells. And, I just don't see the point of wallowing on what _could_ have been. If anything, what happened with Diablos should have hammered that home." He smiled at Seifer. "I can't even think of being with another man."

"How sappy of you." Seifer chuckled to himself. "But, it's still cute."

"Do you think you and Cid and Edea will work things out?"

"I could ask you the same question about Squall. Besides, I'm more concerned about trying to start over with Fujin."

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

Seifer sighed as he pulled into his driveway. "You know I think it's stupid of Garden or Esthar to think that Diablos would ever tell them anything about magic, or that he would let himself be caught by them but I would like to ask him how to help her. I wish I'd thought of it while he was right in front of us."

"You think he would have told you?" Zell asked as Seifer killed the engine.

"No," Seifer said. "It's a nice thought, though." Seifer started to get out of the truck, but Zell reached out and wrapped strong fingers around Seifer's wrist. "Wait a sec." He slid across the seat and put his hands on the sides of Seifer's face. He kissed Seifer's chin, then the tip of his nose, then his forehead and his eyelids, then finally his mouth. His tongue was nimble against Seifer's lips and tongue, and he smiled and then laughed against the other man's mouth. Seifer also smiled, and they laughed into the kiss with carefree abandon that could only come with that light-hearted feeling of love.

"Is this you looking for an actual job?" Seifer asked lightly, his and Zell's lips still meeting in quick, brief kisses.

"I could make a comment about a _job _of some kind, but it's too obvious. His breath lingered with Seifer's. "You taste so good, Almasy."

"Hmmm." Seifer traced Zell's tattoo with his fingertips. "You're the third man to say that to me today."

"Bastard." Zell ran his fingers through Seifer's blonde hair, his mouth pressing to Seifer's cheek. If five years from now, someone asked Zell 'how did you and Seifer fall in love?', he wouldn't have been able to answer. If Zell had told a story of their past, anyone would have thought Zell was out of his mind for even being in the same room as Seifer Almasy, let alone living with him and sharing a bed with him. But, even now, Zell contemplated exactly how it had turned from dislike to surprise to like to love with Seifer. He couldn't put his finger on it. It had just happened so naturally, so steadily that there wasn't a defining moment that Zell could put his finger on and say 'yes, that's the moment I knew I was in love with Seifer'. He supposed that the same could be said for a lot of couples. Even Squall and Rinoa.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Seifer asked, pursing his smiling lips. "You kinda vanished there for a second."

"Huh?" Zell cocked his head. "Oh, nothin'. Just thinking.

"That's never good," Seifer teased. He got out of the car, Zell following. "What were you thinking about?"

"Well, why should I tell you, since you're being such a jerk?"

Seifer snorted as he pulled out his keys. "If you think that's me being a jerk, you either suffered brain damage, or have a very short memory."

"Or, I'm just choosing to ignore how much of a fucker you are because the sex is hot."

"You're the third best I've had today."

Zell jabbed Seifer in the stomach, which caused the taller blonde to slowly let out his breath as soon as he was out of earshot. Even though they lacked that bully/victim layer to their relationship now, Seifer still didn't like to show when Zell hurt him, even if it was by accident. "So?" Seifer asked after he'd composed himself. "What do you want for supper?"

Zell sat at the kitchen's island, watching Seifer for a few moments with a smile on his face.

"Uh, Dincht?" Seifer snapped his fingers. "Stop staring at a mental patient and answer the question."

Zell's grin widened. "I don't care." While Seifer may have snapped at him, Zell knew that Seifer felt the same way as he did. He knew it in the way Seifer kissed him, and in the way Seifer touched him and held him.

"You're doing it again," Seifer pointed out as he pulled vegetables out of the fridge.

"Sorry."

Seifer just shrugged a shoulder, even though he was glad that Zell kept staring at him like that. It made him glad to be in one piece, and glad to be home.

Dollet was having its first snowfall of the year. The flakes were fluffy and virgin white. The perfect snow to catch on your tongue, but yet the kind that melted as soon as it touched the ground. Zell had his hands spread out to catch the flurries, and stuck his tongue out, tasting the cold droplets.

"You're _how_ old?" Seifer asked, even though he wrapped his arm around Zell's shoulder and kissed the top of his head, tasting wet snow in Zell's hair. They were taking a brief holiday in Dollet. They'd missed out on celebrating their four year anniversary a few months back because both were busy with work, but Seifer had booked a luxurious suite for them at the Dollet Hotel, knowing he had to make a trip to this area to pick up some items.

"I love snow," Zell murmured. It never snowed in Balamb, and in Timber, all they got was sleet and hail or cold rain. "I'm so glad you planned this. I needed the vacation." Seifer was still busy with Archimedes, and Zell had his dojo. After the whole Blackball thing had ironed itself out, Zell had taken a few menial jobs, but had eventually started his own martial arts school. After all, it was in his blood, and he already had teaching experience from Garden. The only place he could afford to lease was in Bridgeport Square near Westphal. At first, things hadn't gone well, and he'd had to burn through some of his savings to keep the place afloat. Fortunately, even though Blackball wasn't an issue anymore, crime still was. The more familiar drugs like cocaine and heroin had risen up to take Blackball's place, and robbery and homelessness were still rampant problems in Timber. It made people want to seek out ways to defend themselves. It was what made Seifer's business have a clientele besides soldiers and mercenaries, and it was what started to attract students to Zell. Seifer had always suggested that Zell advertise that he had once been SeeD, because it would make curious people maybe sign up, but Zell had refused to use Garden's name for anything. Even over four years later, he was still very sore about the whole thing. It was also what was still straining his relationship with Squall. Though, they were trying, Seifer had to admit that, and things between them were much better than they had been.

Squall and Rinoa had a baby girl. She was now over three and a half, and really quite adorable. They'd named her Ocean, and she was a spitting image of Squall. She had his light brown hair and pretty lips and porcelain skin and the sultry shape of his eyes, though her eye colour was that deep, warm chocolate brown of Rinoa. Squall hadn't wanted her when he'd found out that Rinoa was pregnant, but once she'd been born, he'd fallen in love with her. He doted on her and did everything for her. Whenever she reached out for his hand, his face lit up in a way it didn't for anyone or anything else. But, in typical Squall fashion, his love for his beautiful Ocean hadn't continued to the rest of his relationships, though he really was making an effort where Zell was concerned. Seifer and Squall's relationship was about the same, which meant that it was more complex than people gave it credit for. There had always been deep yet quiet respect between them, though they'd never be best buddies. Seifer supposed that it was a _huge_ compliment that he'd been allowed to watch Ocean for a weekend before.

Laguna was so happy that Ocean was in his life, too. Because she looked so much like Squall, that meant that she could have been Raine as a little girl. He really loved his granddaughter's company, especially because he was lonely, still pining after Edea. Though, feelings for Raine were starting to come back to him whenever he looked into Ocean's face. Squall and he were starting to warm up to each other again, since Squall was scared about being a father, and would ask Laguna advice, even though he knew that Laguna hadn't been there for him. And, Laguna was very willing to give out these little gems of wisdom, sometimes which didn't make any sense. He didn't want Squall to make the same mistakes he did.

Rinoa loved her daughter too, but there was a problem. Squall had never come out and said so much to Seifer, but Seifer had gleaned that Rinoa was a little jealous of her daughter. Jealous because Ocean got all of Squall's love an attention, while her relationship with her husband had frosted considerably. Squall never discussed marital matters with Seifer, but the tall blonde could tell from the looks on their faces when they were all together. Seifer had once asked Squall if he and Rinoa were considering divorce, but Squall had never answered him, and had not even given an answer either way, instead choosing to ignore that Seifer had even asked it at all.

Zell and Seifer went into a pub to order some hearty beer. They both also ordered some seafood chowder to warm them up. Zell waved at someone who said "hey, Instructor!"

"One of your students?"

Zell nodded. "She's pretty promising, too. She's in my advanced kickboxing class." As their drink order came, Seifer started rooting through his coat pockets when he felt his phone vibrating.

"Who's that?" Zell asked, taking a long drink of beer.

"Edea," Seifer answered. He turned off his phone. "I'm on vacation. I'll talk to her when we get back home."

"Maybe a month after," Zell murmured to himself.

Seifer shrugged a shoulder. Edea was back in Centra at the Orphanage, which was her passion, even though the phone call had seemed to come from Esthar. She was steering clear of Esthar because of what had happened with Laguna, and what kept happening with him. She was trying everything to get Cid to forgive her and take her back, but whenever she wound up in Esthar on Sorcery business, they always seemed to wind up kissing or falling into bed together. She and Cid weren't divorced, but they were definitely separated. Cid had a lady friend who was one of the botany teachers at Garden, and who was also very nice, at least Seifer thought so. He didn't have any sort of feeling that Cid and Edea, his parents, should be together, since his feelings on it were still that they were just people who _happened_ to be his parents. To say that Seifer had bonded with Cid and Edea over the past four years would have been a gross over-exaggeration. He'd bonded far more with Ma Dincht than he had with this woman who claimed to be his mother. He didn't mean to purposely hurt Cid and Edea, but he couldn't pretend to feel things he didn't, and they would have known if he was faking it. "The call was coming from Esthar."

"You think her and Laguna will stay together this time?" Zell asked, fingers touching Seifer's on the table.

"I don't know. Edea's depressed over Cid and Eirene, but" He trailed off.

"She still loves Laguna, too." Zell looked up as their soup came. He smiled when the delicious smell hit his nostrils. "Thanks," he said to the waitress.

"Yeah. She loves Laguna, but she also sees him as the reason her marriage failed. Or rather she sees _them_ as why it failed, so even though she may want to be with Laguna, there will always be guilt there."

"Well, you should still try to call her as soon as we get back," Zell said with some reproach in his voice. He took a spoonful of chowder. "Mmmm. They have the best chowder outside Balamb."

"Yeah, it's good," Seifer agreed. "Though, not as good as Ma's."

"Nothing is. Speaking of calling mothers, I have to call her too when we get back. I haven't talked to her in a couple weeks. Last time, she said that Fujin would be back this month."

Seifer's ears perked up. "Oh?"

"Yeah, I forgot to mention it, babe. Sorry." After coming out of detox, Fujin had decided that she couldn't stay in Timber anymore. It was just full of ugly memories. She'd headed back towards Balamb, and opened a small restaurant that specialized in seafood. She'd always enjoyed fishing, saying it gave her happy memories of the posse together, back before everything had started going wrong. Seifer's relationship with Fujin was much like Zell and Squall's. They were really trying, but too much had happened for it to be the same ever again. Though, Seifer could see the closeness again between Squall and Zell. He didn't see that for Fujin and him. Things were just too damaged. Fujin could never stop thinking of Seifer killing Raijin. Twice. And, Seifer couldn't forgive himself for it, especially not when he tried to look into her eye. Ma Dincht had promised to keep an eye on her for Seifer, though. So, at least he would know that she was okay. Zell was talking about a trip she'd just made to Fisherman's Horizon.

They didn't talk much for the rest of the meal. They didn't need to. They were comfortable with their silences. True, they weren't always this comfortable, and fought like any other couple. When they fought, it was always quite the scene, since they both were rather fiery when they got mad. They would say 'that's it, it's over', and break up. But, the break-up would only last a couple of hours. Seifer had once spent the night at a motel after a rather nasty fight about money, and had sworn that he'd never go to bed angry with Zell after that, because it had been the worst night of sleep he'd had in a long time. He'd missed Zell beside him at night too much.

"So, what next?" Zell asked after they'd paid for their meal, and were out in the slowly falling snow again.

Seifer pulled out two tickets. "There's that play at the Royal Theatre that you wanted to see" The play was called Empire, and was about the last royal family of Dollet before the Empire had fallen.

Zell gasped, snatching the tickets from Seifer's gloved hand. "Seriously? Empire? How did you get tickets?"

"I booked them a while ago. We were going to go on our anniversary, but then that crapped out" He trailed off and smiled as Zell kissed him soundly on the lips.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Zell wrapped his arms around Seifer's waist and gave a tight hug. "I love you."

"Yeah, yeah. You know you'll _owe_ me for this." Seifer cocked an eyebrow and laughed a very private and masculine laugh. "Curtain's in a couple of hours."

They decided to kill time by window shopping, their fingers tightly looped together. They would occasionally stop and give each other quick and perfect kisses. Seifer stopped by the window of a blacksmith's shop, eyes professionally looking over the weapons displayed in the window. "Hmmm.. Ow!" Seifer exclaimed. "Ow, ow, ow!! You're going to break my hand!" Seifer gasped, nearly falling to his knees because Zell had suddenly started squeezing the life out of his hand. He finally wrenched his hand out of Zell's, starting to massage it. "Are you fucking crazy, Dincht?" Seifer asked angrily. "Fuck" He slowly moved his fingers to get blood back into them. "What's your problem?" He looked at Zell angrily, but that anger started to seep away when he saw what the problem was.

Zell's eyes were transfixed on a customer that had just come out of the blacksmith's. Seifer also looked at the customer in horror, at that painfully beautiful face. Eyes that they thought they'd never see again turned and looked at them, also showing surprise in those black irises with fireworks of ice blue. His hair was much shorter than it had been four years ago, but those pointed ears and graceful movements were all the same, all belonging to Daeva Aka-Manah.


	16. Chapter 16

****

Sixteen

"Seifer didn't call me back," Edea murmured, staring sadly out at Esthar's skyline. Laguna's chambers had a very nice view over the city. "I know that he saw it was me."

"Isn't Seifer on vacation?" Laguna asked, rearranging some photos of Squall and Ocean on top of a short bookcase. "Maybe him and Zell don't want to be uhh. Interrupted, if you catch my drift."

"Uh huh," she said without conviction.

"Just so you know, I'm talking about sex."

Normally, Edea would have smiled at Laguna's silly charm, but she just couldn't now. She was trying so hard to be close to her son, when he was only polite and cordial with her. She especially needed him now, now that Cid had a new woman.

"This is more about Cid than Seifer, isn't it?" Laguna asked, smiling at an especially cute picture of Ocean sitting on a swing. Oh, how she looked like Squall and Raine "About him and Eileen?"

"Eirene," Edea corrected, that name burned into her memory. She'd never officially met Cid's new 'friend', but she had seen them together. She'd come to Garden to surprise him, to try and get him to talk with her, and she'd seen him with this redheaded, athletic looking woman who had a boisterous, infectious laugh. She hadn't even been able to go over to them, especially not after seeing them kiss. She'd just left Garden without Cid even knowing she was there. "I just." She sighed. "Never mind."

"I'm here for you, you know?" He said quietly, crossing the room and putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I know you are, Laguna." She reached up and patted the back of his hand.

"Then, why won't you _let_ me be there for you?" He asked, his voice a whisper and full of desperation and urgency. "I love you, Edea."

Her shoulders slumped under his hands. "I know. I love you too, but."

"Maybe we were meant to be together?" Laguna asked rhetorically.

"Or, maybe we just broke Cid's heart and destroyed my marriage."

"We aren't the only people ever to cheat."

"Is that supposed to make it better?" She asked hotly, looking angrily up at him.

"No, no." He sighed, walking around to face her, crouching down so he was looking up into her face. "Just. It happened, Edea. You can't destroy yourself to make up for it." Laguna then kissed the top of her head.

She sighed as his lips lingered over her hair. It felt so nice to have him comforting her like this, and to have his hands and lips touching her. "Even if I don't destroy myself, Laguna. My guilt will destroy any chance we have." She patted

Daeva's upper lip curled into a sneer as he hitched his backpack up further on one broad shoulder. "Would you kindly get the fuck out of my way?" Daeva asked after they'd all stared at each other in surprise for some long, silent moments.

It was true that time had altered Daeva's appearance. He'd always been a balance between human and faerie blood, but the longer he was away from his birth-given fey magic, the more human his appearance became. That's not to say that he didn't retain all of his fey beauty, because he did. But, he looked far more real, and far less magical. They could see he did indeed have physical imperfections, like a scar through his right eyebrow, and a long scar from the right corner of his mouth, dipping below his jaw line, which looked much squarer and more masculine without the veneer of glamour. His long and luxurious hair was much shorter, true. The last four years had taken their toll on the former demon. Money made the world go 'round, much like it always had since the beginning of time, so he'd had to look for work. He found jobs, but always lost them. Daeva would never admit to himself that the unemployment was his own fault. His attitude was less than jovial, and it always cost him the work. So, bitterly impoverished, he'd sold the only thing he had that was worth a lot of money. His hair. He'd shaved it completely bald, giving them every strand, which had kept him fed for a while. But, he was running out of that money. Daeva was glad to have some hair grown back. He missed his long hair, and his pointed ears and a bald head seemed to make people wary. Everyone just assumed that Daeva's ears and his eyes were because he was a Sorcerer, and this was something he just let them think. Now, his hair wasn't long enough to even put in a ponytail.

"So." Seifer trailed off, regaining himself. "You look a little worn."

Daeva just rolled his pretty eyes "What a brilliant assumption. Way to go, Genius." He balled one of his hands into a fist, which caused Zell and Seifer both to tense up.

"You can't touch us," Zell pointed out. "Bahamut put that protection over us." Zell at least hoped that the spell was still working, or else they could be in trouble. Diablos may have been human again, but he was still very dangerous.

Daeva's mouth turned down into a deep frown at the mention of Bahamut. It was because of Bahamut that he was here, it was because of Bahamut that he had no powers, it was because of Bahamut that he was homeless. It was because of Etanin that his heart ached. "You certainly think highly of yourselves. I have more important things to concern myself with." Daeva made a quick motion towards them, chuckling to himself when both blondes jerked backwards. He sneered again and walked away from them, heading through the main promenade to the other side of town, where he could get a train down towards Galbadia.

"He ," Zell murmured. "You think we should follow him?"

"No," Seifer replied, draping an arm over Zell's shoulders, steering him in the opposing direction. "I think we should just forget about it, the same as we've been doing every day since it all happened. I think we should just live our lives, and not dwell on the past."

"Well, you weren't being this profound while it was happening," the shorter blonde answered sulkily, though he leaned into Seifer's body, loving the weight of Seifer's arm around him.

"It's not happening now, is it?" He pointed out. "Now, c'mon babe. Let's just enjoy the play."

"But, now I'm gonna be all paranoid" Zell looked over his shoulder, but was unable to see Daeva anymore, the crowd having swallowed him up.

"Just forget him. He's harmless now."

Zell looked up at Seifer, rolling his icy eyes. "Even you're not dumb enough to believe that."

"And, I don't want to ruin our holiday by worrying about nothing."

"I I guess."

"That's better." Seifer tilted Zell's face up and gave him a slow kiss. "Right?"

"I guess" Zell repeated, but his voice was far less hesitant, and far quieter and personal.

"Good." Seifer used one arm to sweep Zell into a hug, then they continued on their way towards the theatre. The line-up was pretty deep, but it was full of people discussing what they thought the play would be like, so it created good energy. Zell kept his arm tight around Seifer's waist, trying not to let his mind wander to Diablos. He didn't want to worry about what he could be planning, or if he was watching them right now.

"Relax" Seifer whispered as they entered the warmth of the theatre.

"I am relaxed," Zell pointed out as the usher took their tickets. They were led into the auditorium by a second usher.

"Then, how come you're as stiff as a board?"

"Is this where I'm supposed to say something dirty?" Zell asked in an off-hand manner.

Seifer just looked at him, his eyes unwavering behind his glasses.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like _that_. I hate it when you look at me like that."

"I'm not looking at you in any strange way."

Zell looked over into his eyes. "It makes me want to skip the play entirely and just go back to the hotel."

"Ohhhh," Seifer exclaimed quietly, chuckling to himself. "Glad I have such an effect on you, Chicken-Wuss. It's quite a boost to the ego."

"Well, when you talk like that, it makes me think less highly of you."

"You have to think highly of everyone."

"Huh?" Zell asked, distracted by the playbill.

"Because everyone's higher than you."

Zell rolled his eyes as Seifer laughed at himself. "Lame, Almasy. Just _so lame_."

"You still owe me a blow job you know," Seifer said loudly enough that the snooty looking couple in front of them looked over their shoulders. Seifer just smiled and wiggled his fingers in a sarcastic wave as the lights began to dim.

"You're such a bastard," Zell whispered.

"I love you too," Seifer muttered as the lights completely dimmed, the play beginning. Zell was engrossed in it, his fingers having discovered Seifer's in the darkness. But, his mind would still occasionally wander to Daeva/Diablos. Where had he been going? What had he been doing these past years? Was he plotting revenge against them? Seifer hissed quietly a couple of times because Zell would be so lost in thought that he didn't realize he was squeezing Seifer's hand too hard. Once the play was over, they walked back to the hotel, huddled close together because of the cold night wind blowing off the ocean. They discussed the play, but Seifer could tell that Zell was distracted. After all, he was too. It had thrown him for a loop to see Daeva again, but he'd tried to think of it positively rather than worrying about it. He tried to think that they were safe, that Bahamut's rune was still protecting them. If Daeva had wanted to hurt them, he would have by now, or would have tried then in front of the blacksmith's shop.

"Look." Seifer said once they'd gotten back to their hotel room. "He would have done something if he was going to. He looked tired and distracted. I'm sure he's got more important things to worry about than us right now. Like, trying to be human again after millions of years of being anything _but_ human."

"I wonder what it would be like" Zell trailed off, taking off his shoes and socks, sitting on the edge of the bed. "To lose that much power after having it for so long."

"It's probably hell," Seifer mused, draping his coat over the back of a chair. "Maybe what's the bigger hell is that it was Bahamut that did it to him."

"You think they were lovers for all that time?"

"Tiamat said that time is different for them than it is for us," Seifer pointed out, putting his hands on his hips in thought. "So, maybe they don't see each other for long stretches of time, but I think knowing that the other is there means just as much as actually seeing them."

"Tiamat hasn't talked to you much lately, huh?" Zell asked distantly.

"No. I think what happened with Bahamut threw her for a loop. Or, maybe she just doesn't have anything interesting to say."

"Do you think that throwing Diablos out of the Summon world hurt Bahamut?"

"I know it did," Seifer answered. "You could see it all over his face when it actually happened. I don't know that his expression is something that I'd forget, since I know I felt that same feeling when I thought you were going to die."

"Yeah, by _Bahamut's_ hands," Zell interjected, his voice lowering bitterly.

"He fixed us, didn't he? He's protecting us, isn't he?"

"I wonder if they feel loneliness?" Zell asked, reaching out and grabbing the front of Seifer's pants, pulling the standing man closer. He wrapped his arms around Seifer's waist and pressed his tattooed cheek to his stomach, sighing as he felt Seifer breathe.

"I would hope not, since they can essentially live forever." Seifer pursed his lips as Zell's hands swept down over his butt. "That's something I've never wanted to know that eternity stretches out before me."

Zell looked up at his lover. "Well, then you better hope that you don't become a GF when you die."

Seifer smiled, ruffling Zell's hair. "So. How about that blow job?"

Daeva wrapped his arms around himself as the train left the Dollet Station, heading towards East Academy Station and Galbadia Garden. That wasn't Daeva's destination. He was just heading South. As far away from Trabia as he could get. He'd heard that there was work available in the canyons near Trabia Garden. They were building housing, people migrating from Esthar, Deling City or Timber, looking for new frontiers to forge. Daeva had been so very pampered his entire existence, but that was something he'd had to get over quickly in this new human life. Most available work was manual labour. His once pristine hands had scars and healing cuts on them, and he also had a few hangnails. He'd felt good about the prospect of a job there. Housing would have been free to all the construction crew, and the pay would have been decent. But, then it had hit him like a sledgehammer between the eyes when he'd passed a crew working on what would eventually be an apartment complex. That he wasn't the only one who had the same idea to work in Trabia. Alexander had the same thought, and had gotten there first.

It had been the first time that they'd seen each other since that day in Timber when Bahamut had stripped them of their powers. But, their eyes had met, and Daeva had known that he couldn't stay there. Even though they didn't have their magic, there just wasn't room for both of them on the same continent. Without even applying for work, Daeva had walked to Shumi village, taking a quick job mining for them, waiting for a new opportunity to open itself up to him. One of the Shumi had mentioned that Centra was also booming in terms of construction, and employment. So, that's where Daeva was going now. He shivered from the cold, but also from the weight of his feelings at seeing Alexander, as well as Sorceress Edea's child with his lover. His feelings..

Over the millions of years of being Diablos, Daeva had felt things, but really they were just memories of his human emotions. They were a parallel of those emotions, almost an act. Like he was trying to impersonate a human. Now that he really was human again, all his emotions felt too big for him. They were just too overwhelming, especially because everything else was overwhelming to him, too. Daeva had never been a being to get stressed out by things, but there had been more than one night where he'd cried himself to sleep because he'd just felt so small, powerless and _lost_. He'd thought he'd felt loneliness as Diablos, but it had never been anything near this ache that he was left with. He found that this ache was also intermingled with anger, and it felt too complex for such a frail body. His magic would have helped him now, made him feel more complete and like he had some purpose instead of wandering aimlessly. He hated Bahamut for doing this to him, but he also missed him terribly. No, he missed Etanin. He actually found that Bahamut was getting harder and harder to remember. In fact, so was the machine Alexander, and Shiva, and Leviathan, and even Diablos.

The human mind isn't meant to keep millions of years of memories. It can't even fully hold 80 or 90 years. Daeva was starting to. Forget. He could remember his life before becoming Diablos clearly, and of course, there were things about being the Dark Messenger that he could recall instantly, but there were pockets of time, of idleness and of events that weren't terribly important, that were black spots, that were leaving him. He was forgetting Bahamut, but he dreamed of Etanin every night. He dreamed of what it felt like to have Etanin's arms around him. That strength and that confidence. But, it also angered him at the same time. Because his memories of his first life were clearer than ever now, he could also sometimes _feel_ the fire that killed him, and it only hammered home Etanin's betrayal, and his similarities to Ronouve-Sempra.

Dollet was left behind them as they headed further into Galbadia. He thought of Seifer Almasy and Zell Dincht. He could see the wariness about them, that they were worried Daeva was going to do something to them. In reality, it didn't really cross his mind, and he didn't really think of them at all. He had more important things to worry about, like the fact that he was a nomad, and was always hungry because he barely had money for food, and that he was homeless, like having to learn about a world that had modernized without him. He had more important people to worry about, like the piercing in his gut he'd felt when his eyes had met Alexander's, like the ache in his soul, longing for Etanin.

He wound up falling asleep on the train ride, dreaming of a black-winged demon that seemed more like a fantasy than his reality, and dreaming of waking up to Etanin taking him home. When he woke up, they were going through the fields around Winhill. Winhill's climate was perfect for flower-growing all year, so the fields were dappled with lively colours. Winhill was still very small, but there was growth here, too. New buildings were being erected, Centra's growth contagious to the sleepy little town. The fields and fields of flowers touched something in Daeva, and when the train pulled into the station that had been built about ten years ago to accommodate the traffic of people stopping over on their way to Centra, Daeva got off rather than finishing the trip. While his strengths were necromancy and black magic, his faerie blood still loved nature and things alive. It was a contradiction, much like his existence itself. The graceful beauty of the fey mixed with the boorish sturdiness of a human.

Daeva hitched his backpack on his shoulders and walked into Winhill. That pack was his entire life. It contained all his belongings, and was the closest thing to a home he had. He watched with his two-tone eyes as a car drove by. They were still such odd inventions to him, but he'd started reading about them. After all, humans were dependant on them, which meant he was now, as well. The smell of flowers entered his nose as he came near where they were building a complex of some sort. He looked at all the people milling around, and found the man who seemed to be the boss.

"Can I help you?" The burly man asked, looking Daeva up and down once he'd approached. There were a few other men, and a couple women also standing around, having the same idea as Daeva. He swallowed his pride, squared his shoulders, and put on his most charming smile which, while he may not have had his glamour magic, was still thousand-watt. "Hello. I'm looking for work?"

Five years later, four months after his thirty-sixth birthday, was the day that Squall died. It was a normal day for him. He'd gone to work, did some paperwork, had a frigid conversation with Rinoa when she'd come in for her job with Ocean. This is what happened every day. Not much changed in Squall's life. Ocean would come up to his office with him while Rinoa did her work. She still worked in the cultural department, and Squall was still in his same office. Though, he didn't go out on SeeD missions anymore. He was getting too old for that, and he had too many administrative duties. Cid was still Headmaster, though it was mostly in name alone, and Quistis ran the show. Xu was still the head of the legal tribunal, but after Zell's disaster of a hearing, Quistis had put her 'friend' on a very short leash. That word friend was used very loosely, for Xu never forgave Quistis for appointing Nida as her right-hand, and Quistis never really forgave Xu for her behaviour towards Seifer and Zell. Squall wasn't sure that Quistis had really forgiven him, either. But, Ocean's company made him forget about that, and really not care. Today was only different because Squall was taking Ocean to the pet store in Balamb Town. She was going to pick out a kitten. Squall and Rinoa thought she was old enough to handle the responsibility of a pet now, as she was nearing 9 years old.

It had all happened so fast. Squall was driving his now antique Tempest. Perhaps he was going too fast. He always did like to drive her hard. One minute they'd been driving along the Balamb Highway, and the next everything had started spinning. A car had ducked out from behind a tractor-trailer to illegally pass it, and Squall had been going too fast to react properly, and had spun out of control. The other car had smashed into the driver's side, while the tractor-trailer had overturned, right on top of the hood of the Tempest. It had split the Tempest in half, Squall's side pinned under the large rig. He'd heard screaming, then white noise. He heard Ocean screaming, but she sounded so far away.

Squall looked down at his fists, which were balled in the grass. He could hear his baby screaming. He whipped his head around, and saw the mangled three-car wreck a mile up the Highway. He must have been flung from the car. He could hear her screaming, and he could see blood splattered all over the shattered windshield of his car. On the _driver's_ side of the car. He found it hard to breathe as he stared confused at the mangled wreck. But, it wasn't any sort of shock that made Squall lose his breath. It was _power_. Sheer power.

"It's nice to see you again, Squall."

Squall had to make a huge effort to tear his eyes away from the crash. He looked over his shoulder and saw a vaguely familiar person standing behind him, wearing a knee-length brown leather coat with unsheared sheep's wool lining. He had aviator sunglasses perched on his chocolate brown hair, and was lighting a cigarette with brown leather gloved hands. The last time he'd seen this man was when he'd been chopping Zell and Seifer apart. Bahamut's human form.

"You're surprised to see me," Etanin mused, taking a long drag from the cigarette. Smoking was a habit he'd had before becoming Bahamut. After becoming the King of Dragons, his desire for smoking lessened. It was a human vice that he'd forgotten about when he'd ceased to be human. But, sometimes when he was in human form, the old craving would come back. Cigarettes now were much different than the ones he'd smoked as a man, but the desire for the habit was still there, especially lately that there was a gaping hole in the Ancient Court. Alexander's absence meant nothing to him, but he missed Daeva sorely. "But, that's to be expected."

Squall looked back at the wreckage, still hearing his beloved Ocean screaming.

"You may be a little too shocked to connect the dots, but I'm sure you realized what happened, at least deep down." He took a few steps towards Squall, but kept far enough away as to not invade his personal space.

"That's my blood," Squall said hollowly.

"It is."

"Ocean's dying."

"She's alive."

Squall's eyes looked down the highway towards Balamb Town when he heard sirens. "I. I died."

Etanin cocked his head, looking down into Squall's pale and shocked face. Squall looked up into Etanin's black eyes, the King of Summons' human form an inch or so taller than Seifer was. "I, as Bahamut, the Lord of Dragons and King of the Ancient Court, welcome thee, Griever."

While Squall was staring dumbfounded at Etanin Alwaid, Laguna was silently driving back towards Balamb Town, Edea in the passenger seat. Normally, if Laguna was at Garden, he would have spent some time with Squall and Ocean, but he had a lot of things on his mind. Like the papers that Edea had just dropped off to Cid. Laguna had seen her golden brown eyes sweep Cid's desk as she'd delivered the signed divorce papers. Her eyes had swept the pictures, seeing ones of Cid and Eirene, and one of Seifer as a boy. There were none of her anymore. They'd only really said pleasantries, and Edea had left the office with her back straight, even though she wanted to dissolve into tears. So it was over. Laguna was the only thing keeping her together. She'd called Seifer, but there had been no answer. She'd known there would be no answer, since it was the middle of the day in Timber, and he would have been at work. But, she'd wanted to hear his voice, even if it was just his answering machine. Things still weren't great between mother and son, but they were progressing.

"What now?" Laguna asked as he had to slow down. There was a line of cars stalled ahead of them. "Hmm must have been an accident or something." He looked over at her. "Do you just want to go straight back to Esthar, or to Centra.?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "I think I just." She trailed off. "I can smell blood. Someone died ahead."

Laguna never questioned when Edea said something like that. She could sense things that other people couldn't. "Hmmm, yeah what a mess." Laguna then swerved his car off to the shoulder of the road and got out of the car. Edea had morosely been staring off into space, and watched with confusion as Laguna got out of the car and ran towards the accident. Her eyes moved towards the massive wreck, surrounded by emergency vehicles and police. Her eyebrows shot up when she saw why Laguna had gone running. In the middle of that horrible accident was a familiar car. Squall's antique Tempest, twisted and splattered with gore from the inside. The emergency team had pulled Ocean from the car, and she was screaming and crying, the whole left side of her body drenched in blood. Someone else's blood. "Oh, Hyne" She got out of the car.

"That's my son!" Laguna screamed when the police wouldn't let him any closer to the accident. "Squall?!" He cried.

Squall looked away from Etanin when he heard his name being called. "Laguna?"

"Squall?" Laguna yelled again. The paramedic with Ocean in his arms took her to an ambulance to check her out. Two more were pulling Squall out of the wreck, his body broken and gore-covered. When they got him out, Laguna let out a horrible scream.

"Laguna?" Squall asked again, walking towards the accident.

"SQUALL!" Laguna screamed. "That's my son!" He shouted to the police holding him back. "I'm the President of Esthar! Let me in!!" Laguna started wailing, falling to his knees. Edea had gone to the ambulance where Ocean was. They'd given her some light sedatives so they could check her more thoroughly.

"Laguna!" Squall shouted, starting to run towards him. "Dad, I'm here!" Squall shouted as Laguna pushed past the police that were struggling to hold him back. Squall watched in horror as Laguna embraced Squall's bloody and shattered corpse in his arms, crying and screaming his name. "Dad?!" Squall screamed. He tried to go closer, but was stopped by Etanin firmly gripping his elbow.

"He can't see you."

Squall's eyes filled with tears as he watched Laguna being torn off his body. Edea had come over and was now whispering to him. "Laguna Ocean needs you right now. She needs her grandpa."

Laguna wept into his bloody hands. Hands covered in his son's blood.

"Dad!" Squall shouted again.

"He can't hear you, either."

"Daddy" Squall whimpered, falling to his knees. Running into his father's arms was something he'd never really desired to do after the age of six, but God, he wanted to do it now. "This has to be an awful dream."

"We aren't really here. We're in a parallel existence of this world. Much like Daeva created in Timber." Etanin trailed off when Daeva's name fell from his lips. "Come along."

"But Ocean. My daughter. I can't leave her."

"You're dead, Griever. You've already left her."

"I'm not Griever!" Squall shouted, rising to his feet. "I fought Griever! I saw Griever!" He stalked forward and gripped the lapels of Etanin's leather jacket. Etanin let him do this without any reaction. "You're wrong!" He shouted into Bahamut's human face. "Now, let me see my father. Let me see my little girl!" In his anger, the ground around them started to shake, and Squall's hands turned into claws. He stumbled back, gasping in horror as he looked at his fingers, which had long claws, looking like animal paws. Like a lion.

"You fought yourself," Etanin informed. "Unless you've forgotten, when you fought Griever as a child, you were in Ultimecia's Time Compression. You were in the future."

Squall slammed his eyes shut as he heard Laguna screaming his name again. He fell to his knees once more. "I want my dad." He started weeping, and when he was pulled up to his feet by Etanin, he started attacking the Lord of Dragons. He punched Etanin's chest and face, screaming incoherently in his face. His fists were held by Etanin's strong hands, and Squall collapsed against his chest, weeping. Etanin's arms came around him, and held him in a very fatherly way. Squall's reaction to his life after his death was actually pretty common. Most of the others of the Court had also taken their death badly.

"You're lying to me, right?" Squall asked desperately. "I mean I I I can't be Griever. I _can't_!"

"You can, and you are."

"Liar!" Squall screamed, lashing out at Etanin again. This time, his cheek was deeply scratched by claw marks. Marks that came from the claws that were in place of Squall's fingers in his rage. The cuts on Etanin's cheek healed nearly instantly, closing up quickly.

"It is not in my nature to lie, Squall." He then extended his hand to Squall. "Now, come. We have much to discuss, and I have much to teach you."

Squall looked at Etanin's hand, then over his shoulders, which were heaving and shaking with his struggle to get air and to compose himself. Even with the scene of his own grisly death in the background, Squall's nature to block his emotions was still fighting for control. "But Ocean"

"She'll be fine."

Before Squall turned to look back into Etanin's too handsome face, he saw a good glimpse of his own body. Laguna had finally calmed himself down, now getting into the back of the ambulance that was taking Ocean to the Balamb Town hospital. A part of his mind didn't let him comprehend what he was seeing. It was too gory, too horrible. He was so mangled that he didn't really look human anymore, and there was more than just blood leaking out of him. His mind didn't let him comprehend that he was actually seeing his organs falling out of his own body as they tried to move him, and he also didn't really comprehend that half his face was mush, the skin and muscles having been ripped off, and the bones fractured beyond recognition. He touched that side of his face, finding it intact under his fingertips. He looked back at Etanin, who was watching him calmly, and with infinite patience. Like they had all the time in world. It suddenly hit Squall that if he was indeed Griever, he _did_ have all the time in the world.

Squall hesitantly extended his hand, and took Bahamut's. He gasped as he felt like he was being pulled forward by his intestines, and then they were in a very familiar place. Squall's office in Garden. He looked around, seeing that it was just as he left it. "What.?"

"This is part of your power base," Etanin explained, sitting in Squall's leather chair, crossing his legs and looking very regal and king-like as he regarded Squall, tenting his gloved fingers. "We all have to have a home, and this is yours."

"But"

"This is what you created, without even knowing it. This is where you feel most comfortable. Your home may change as you become older, as you hone your powers."

"But if I made it. How did you bring me here."

Etanin smirked. "I can do anything I want."

Squall stared at him for a long time. Part of him wanted to ask Bahamut to get out of his chair. He eventually sat in the chair that was usually for visitors in his office. "So is this really Garden.?"

"Yes, and no. It's a parallel version of Garden. It is Garden, but your recreation of it. Each of us has a recreation of something as our home. I have my castle, which you will see eventually."

"We can travel to each other's homes?" Squall asked. _We._ He was already thinking that he belonged here. He didn't. He belonged with Ocean.

"Briefly. It's taxing, because you'd be entering not only pure magic, but another being's magic. It is essentially a spell. Though, because I am King, I am able to come and go as I please. As are the messengers."

"You mean Diablos."

Squall saw Bahamut's expression change, darken and sadden. "Yes. Though now Siren, since Diablos is currently exiled."

"For how long?"

"We aren't here to discuss that." Etanin waved a hand. "Now, I know it's hard for you to believe, but you are indeed Griever, Lord of Lions."

"What does that mean? Lord of Lions?"

"We all have titles. You, because of your animalistic power, can have power over felines or other animals, much like I can control dragons."

"How come I'm not changing fully..?" Squall looked at his hands, which were back to human shape.

"Because you're clinging desperately to the idea of still being human. But, do not worry. Quite a few of the Court do stay in human form quite often."

"Do you?"

"I'm in human form now, aren't I? About fifty percent of the time, I am in human form. Less now that" He trailed off. "Manannan stays in human form much of the time, for he can't exist outside of the ocean when in true form."

"Manannan that's Leviathan."

"Yes. You'll see them all in time. Now there is a big issue that I think we should discuss first, because it directly affects you. Time Compression. It's something that all of us will have to deal with, because of the impact of time even on us, but with you it is quite different."

"How could I fight myself?"

"You don't _really_ fight yourself. If you recall, Ultimecia Junctions herself onto you. This is quite different than when we are Junctioned and called. It is a reversal of that. What you will do to protect yourself is let her Junction onto a parallel of yourself, much like this office is a parallel to the real office. Since, as you know, we _can _die. If Ultimecia Junctioned herself purely onto you, you would die."

"Like Odin died. When Seifer killed him."

"Yes." Etanin stood up and started walking around the office, examining photographs and the books on Squall's shelves. "You're really quite fascinating, you know?"

"What do you mean, Bahamut?" Squall frowned a little. Saying it out loud really hammered home that he wasn't talking to a mere human.

Etanin looked over his shoulder, raising an amused eyebrow. "You really don't have to call me Bahamut. Most of the Court refer to me as My Lord, but you may call me Etanin if you wish. And, you fascinate me because we haven't had a new member to the Court in quite some time, and we've never had a member that used our power while they were human. It is this connection that allows you to call me by my given name."

"Is Diablos the only other one who can?" Squall asked.

"Leviathan does, too." Etanin crossed his arms. "Now, we should practice your powers. After all, you must learn control." Squall's office vanished away, and they wound up in an open courtyard that Squall was unfamiliar with. It was a wide circle with walking paths and beautiful fountains featuring faeries or men with wings. Tall stone walls rose up all around them.

"Where are we?"

"A courtyard in my castle." Etanin stared at Squall for a while, and then became his true form, which was more familiar to Squall than Etanin Alwaid was. He sat with his wings folded on his back, black eyes staring at Squall. _"Now, you will find that you can speak the language of the Court without having to learn it. It's something that comes when your powers do. It may be a good idea to learn a few of our personal languages, but it's not necessary. Now, change into your true form."_

Squall just kind of looked at the huge dragon, finding that he could hear him speaking, even though his mouth hadn't moved. Now that he was concentrating on becoming something other than himself, he couldn't. "How?"

"_You're trying too hard. Don't think of it. Just feel it._"

Squall closed his eyes, wondering what the fuck that was supposed to mean. He searched his mind, but found there were too many thoughts jumbling up in there. Instead, he let his mind go blank, and felt almost like a newborn when he wasn't concentrating on all the new information that was crashing down on him. He just concentrated on feelings, like Bahamut said. It almost felt like he was Junctioning a new GF. Except that it wasn't an alien force, it was himself. He tapped into that feeling, and could actually feel the magic running through his veins like blood. He breathed out because it felt so good, and didn't even feel it when his body changed. He changed into a great lion-esque creature with furs in black with a purple hue. He had horns like a crown extending from his forehead, that appeared red, but it was really because they were stained with blood. Same with the long nails that came from his paws. He also had huge wings extending from his back, and was nearing the same size as Bahamut when in true form, though the dragon was much larger in terms of wingspan. Squall didn't need to see his reflection to know what he'd looked like, because he saw himself before within Ultimecia's Castle. One thing that Squall had never noticed while fighting Griever was that his lion face had blue eyes, and a scar between them.

"_Very good,_" Bahamut mused. Squall could swear the dragon was smiling. "_We'll continue to practice transformations, then work on other such things, like your power itself._"

Griever couldn't help but be proud as he and Bahamut became Squall and Etanin once more. He actually quite enjoyed Etanin's praise, because he was sure that the King didn't dole it out often. It felt very paternal. "Again," Etanin commanded gently.

Zell stood in front of the full-length mirror on the inside of his closet in his old bedroom back at Ma's house. He was slowly trying to perfect the knot on his black tie, but he found that his fingers felt numb, and he kept slipping.

"Here." Seifer was sitting on the edge of the bed, and crossed the room to help his lover with his tie. "I'll do it." Seifer started knotting Zell's tie, and when he was done, smoothed it down on Zell's chest. "There." He was going to get his vest, but was stopped when Zell's hands reached up and gripped Seifer's tightly.

Zell looked like he was going to say something, but nothing came out. He couldn't think of _anything_ worth saying at a moment like this. A moment where he and Seifer were in his childhood bedroom, dressing for Squall's funeral. "Seifer.?"

"Hmmm?" Seifer stroked Zell's hair, looking down into his pale eyes with love and sympathy.

"Do you think I'm a bad person for not totally forgiving Squall for the Tribunal thing?"

"Don't," Seifer stated firmly, yet so very gently. "Squall never thought you were a bad person, and he knew that you loved him."

Zell let out a shaky breath, a couple of tears working their way out of his eyes. He sobbed when Seifer collected him in a so very familiar hug, and started weeping into Seifer's chest. Seifer started crying too, his tears silently falling into Zell's hair. They both sniffled and gasped to hold back tears when there was a knock on the closed bedroom door. The door was slowly pushed open, and Ocean came in. She'd gotten off far luckier than Squall had in the accident, and even the others. Ocean was the only one to have survived the crash. Seifer and Zell didn't know the full condition of Squall's body, but judging from Laguna's haunted face, and Rinoa's reaction after going to the morgue, it was _bad_. Ocean had only suffered a few cuts on her face and a broken arm, but the emotional scarring was what was the deepest. She'd never get over being covered in her father's blood, losing him so quickly and so brutally.

"Grandma Dincht says we're supposed to go soon," she said quietly. She thought of Zell's mother as her grandmother, just like she also thought of Edea as her grandmother, especially because both Squall and Rinoa's mothers had died, so she didn't have them. "But." She scratched at her cast. "I don't wanna." She started crying and ran towards Seifer, gripping him around the legs, wailing like only a child can in that heartbreaking way. Ocean had always liked Seifer. She'd sensed that Squall had great respect for him, even if they didn't seem to always be the best of friends. She liked how strong he was when he picked her up, and all the neat things in jars in his basement.

"It's okay," Seifer whispered, picking up Squall's daughter. She sobbed loudly into the side of his neck. "You can say goodbye to him."

"I don't wanna go in a car!" She wailed. "Don't make me go in a car!"

Seifer stroked her light brown hair, looking at Zell with his brow knitted together in sorrow. "You don't have to go in a car, sweetie. We can walk instead."

She kept crying, but her sobs were getting quieter, until she was just sniffling. "We should leave now then, if we're going to walk," Zell pointed out.

Seifer nodded and put Ocean down. He put on his vest and jacket, and then picked up the little girl again as they went downstairs. Ma Dincht was in the kitchen. Cooking was her way of dealing with sorrow and stress. Rinoa was sitting in the living room, staring morosely at the wall.

"Rinoa" Zell said gently as Seifer and Ocean went into the kitchen. Ma Dincht gave Ocean a brownie, and Seifer started telling her that they'd be walking rather than going in a car. Ma Dincht understood immediately. "Rinoa?" Squall asked again when she hadn't acknowledged him. "Rinoa!"

She finally looked over. "Oh. Zell."

He stared down angrily at her. He knew that she was really under a lot of stress right now. After all, how would Zell feel if Seifer had died in a car accident? And, there was the whole point that Rinoa had lost Squall the same way she's lost her mother. This must have been like horrible déjà vu. But. Ocean needed her mother right now, and she needed her mother to be strong. Just like he was sure Rinoa's father had to be strong and hide his grief for his daughter's sake. "We're going to walk to the funeral home instead."

"Walk?" She echoed, her eyes looking dead. There were dark circles under them. "Why?"

"Because Ocean doesn't want to go in a car," Zell whispered, not wanting her to overhear them.

"She doesn't.?"

"Rinoa!" Zell hissed, his temper starting to rise. "Her father was just killed in a car. I can imagine cars aren't her favourite things right now."

"But, the car's already rented. She'll have to get used to cars again"

Zell glared at her. "Rinoa, pull yourself together. Ocean needs her mommy to be her rock right now."

"Squall just died!" She shouted. "How dare you tell me to pull myself together! I just lost the only important thing to me. Just like my mom."

"Come on, Ocean. Let's start walking," Seifer said gently as Rinoa's outburst carried through to the kitchen. As Seifer left with her, they could hear her starting to quietly cry again.

"You don't have to remind me that Squall is dead," Zell started lowly. "You don't think I realize it? You don't think I regret not being able to take back every mean thing I ever said to him? But, do you think your daughter needs to hear that her surviving the crash and being _alive_ is less important to you than losing Squall?"

Rinoa just stared back at the wall again.

"Rinoa?!" Zell demanded angrily. When she didn't reply, he cursed under his breath and said "you're hopeless." He kissed his mother on the cheek, and then went outside to follow Seifer and Ocean. They hadn't gone far, and were sitting on the steps outside the front door. Seifer was stroking her hair and talking about the last time he'd fought a Ruby Dragon, trying to distract her and seeming to succeed. Zell watched them for a few silent moments. Seifer really was good with her. Squall must have sensed it, too. After all, Seifer and Squall had always been very much alike, at least deep down. Adopting children had never been something that Seifer and Zell had discussed, and Zell was pretty sure that Seifer actually didn't want children, but it still softened Zell's heart and made him feel something pleasant in all this sadness.

Seifer looked up as Ocean concentrated on eating the rest of her brownie. Zell smiled sadly at him, and Seifer returned the gesture.

"Ready to go?" Zell asked of Squall's daughter quietly.

Her lower lip quivered as if she were going to start crying, but her eyes showed deep resolve and strength, so much like her father. She nodded and said in a voice that seemed too mature for her, "yes." She walked ahead of Seifer and Zell, her hands folded in front of her. They both kept their eye on her, walking slowly as well. Zell looped his arm through Seifer's, and spoke after a long period of silence, voice not rising above a whisper.

"I can't believe Rinoa's being so selfish."

"People do and say things they maybe shouldn't in moments of grief. How would either of us feel if we lost the person we loved most in the world?"

"Neither of us has a child to worry about," Zell pointed out.

Seifer didn't reply. Zell knew the other man well enough to know that this meant while he wanted to argue the point, he couldn't think of anything to respond with. When they got to the funeral home, it was crowded with people getting out of expensive looking cars. Seifer only recognized about half the faces. The other half were all entourage members.

"What's going on?" Zell wondered. "Squall didn't have this many friends."

"They're dignitaries," Seifer pointed out as Ocean dashed towards the home, running straight into Laguna's arms. "They're here to pay their respects to Laguna, since he's the President of Esthar."

"Where's everyone else?" Laguna asked, patting Ocean's head and looking at Seifer and Zell with his haunted eyes. All his typical Laguna Loire charm and light was extinguished, leaving him with an almost ghoulish look.

"Ocean wanted to walk," Seifer stated.

"Ah." That was all Laguna said. But, he didn't need to say any more. He perfectly understood. Edea and Ellone were standing in the doorway, greeting people as they entered.

"Poor Uncle Laguna," Elle whispered to Zell and Seifer as they went in. "He wants to grieve for Squall so badly, but because he's such a public figure, he has to reserve it for a more 'appropriate' time." She shook her head. "And. He wants to be strong for Ocean."

"At least someone's trying to be," Zell muttered bitterly. "Sorry, sorry. Now's not the time to be mean."

Ellone patted his shoulder. "I know what you're saying, Zell. I think it isn't really just about how Rinoa's acting, but also how he acted when he first saw the accident. He feels badly that he let Ocean see him fall apart, because she needed him to be strong."

"I think Ocean's the strongest one in this whole situation," Seifer murmured. He looked over when Cid and Eirene came into the home. Cid and Edea embraced briefly, a very pained and awkward hug. Eirene patted Edea's hand and followed Cid to where they would be sitting. There was no coffin, since Squall's wishes had been to be cremated. And, even if there had been a casket, it would have definitely been closed.

"Oh, Seifer" Edea trailed off, watching as her now ex-husband and his new lady sat down. "Squall was so young."

"People die at younger ages."

"How are you?" She asked, tearing her golden brown eyes away from Cid and looking up into Seifer's face. "How's Zell?"

"Holding up as well as can be expected," he said. "He's kind of angry at Rinoa right now. He doesn't think she's handling Ocean well."

Edea pursed her lips. "I fear there is more to the problem between Rinoa and Ocean than just Squall's death. Laguna's concerned about her."

"He looks terrible."

She shook her head, tucking a strand of ebony hair that had slipped out from her bun behind her ear. "He hasn't slept in days. It was quite the bad accident, and well, it gives me nightmares as well. I'm just glad that Ocean can't remember all the visuals of it."

"You gave him the papers that day, didn't you?" Seifer asked, changing the subject.

"I did," she said after a long sigh. "But, that's not really important right now. How do you feel about that?"

Seifer was a bit confused by the question. "About what?"

"About us divorcing."

He shook his head, shrugging. "I don't really have an opinion. It doesn't really affect me."

"You're our son, Seifer. Of course it affects you."

"Well your relationship seemed very strong for a lot of years, but there must have been a reason that you fell into bed with Laguna." Seifer kept his voice very low as he spoke. "Something besides sex. You both have more willpower than that. There must have been a real, genuine attraction. And, to keep yourself in a marriage where you're not totally committed to the other person seems kind of foolish." His eyes looked away from Edea's face and towards where Zell was standing, still talking to Ellone. "You should focus on committing yourself to someone that you really love, not who you feel obligated to love."

"I'm really happy that you and Zell found such happiness together," she whispered, patting his forearm, letting her hand linger there as her eyes became watery. "Times like this make you appreciate the joy in life so much more acutely. Squall was happy for you, too."

"I find that a little hard to believe," he muttered with a small snort.

"He had to confide in someone. Squall may have kept a lot of his emotions a secret, but sometimes they had to just come out. He talked to me a couple times about what had happened between him and Zell, and the regrets he had over it. Yes." She trailed off. "Squall was surprised, but he was genuinely glad that Zell found someone he loved, and who loved him back. He'd always been a little concerned that Zell was lonely." Edea looked over. She'd been concentrated on Seifer, so hadn't noticed when Zell had come up to stand next to them. He looked stricken at what he heard Edea saying.

"He.. He really said all that to you?" Zell asked quietly.

She nodded. "He did." Her attention was caught by someone that neither Seifer or Zell recognized motioning for Edea to come over. "Excuse me." She stroked her son's arm, and patted Zell's shoulder as she passed by them to talk to the man across the room.

Zell bit his lip and looked up at Seifer. "He really felt all that stuff. And, I never wanted to hear him out. I never wanted to believe that he was actually sorry. And, now he's gone. He's. forever" Zell shook his head, letting out the smallest noise of deep pain and sorrow. Seifer collected Zell in his arms as the shorter man began sobbing. Seifer's breath was taken away by how tightly Zell was gripping onto him, and he shut his eyes firmly when deep ache washed through him. Not only sadness and shock at Squall's sudden death, but in empathy with Zell's grief. He kissed the top of Zell's head, stroking his back. Nobody was really paying them any attention because they were too wrapped up in their own grief. One face was watching them though, and it caught Seifer's attention. Their eyes only met very briefly, with the silver-haired child with electric blue eyes giving Seifer the slightest of nods. In the time it took for Seifer to blink, the boy was gone, though the tall blonde could swear he could smell the ocean. Perhaps this was just because they were in Balamb, and it always smelled like the sea.

Zell noticed the change in Seifer's demeanour, and pulled away, wiping hastily at his soaked cheeks. "What is it?" He asked.

"I think I'm just seeing things" Seifer murmured. He then noticed that people were starting to file into their seats. "It's going to start."

Zell rubbed his forehead and let out a shaky breath. "Right. I better collect myself before I have to speak." Instead of having a minister of some sort from a religion that Squall didn't believe in say things about him, people that knew Squall were going to give words of memory and farewell, and Zell and Seifer were among that list. Seifer had to go first actually, so he started to collect his thoughts.

As people sat down, and as Seifer got up to speak about his complex relationship with Squall, and his equally complex feelings about the other man, all eyes were turned to him, some crying, some smiling wistfully. One pair was thoughtful, standing in the doorway of the funeral home, watching without anyone seeing him. Manannan hadn't meant for Seifer to see him, but had come to Griever's funeral to sate his own curiosity. After all, it wasn't often that someone new came to the Court, and it was even rarer to be able to attend their funeral. He knew that Squall's new self was with their King now. After Daeva, and even Etanin himself, had destroyed their human kingdoms upon becoming Diablos and Bahamut, the Lord of Dragons didn't want a repeat of that sort of event. Often, anger comes with death, especially a violent death, and anger in the form of an inexperienced Summon is an extremely dangerous thing. True, Squall didn't die at the hands of others, but Manannan was quite sure Squall wasn't happy about the whole death thing in the least. As Selphie Tilmitt got up to speak about Squall, Manannan turned and left, dropping his invisibility when he neared the piers of Balamb Harbour. He stood at the edge of the pier among casual fishermen, spreading his arms out and deeply breathing in the fresh, salty smell that permeated everything in Balamb Town. The beautiful smell of the sea. He turned his back to the edge of the pier, looking up at the clear blue sky.

"Hey, kid!" One of the fishermen shouted as Manannan leaned back, falling towards the surface of the water. "Hey, watch out!" The fisherman scrambled to the edge of the pier when he heard the splash, but there was no child, no nothing. Under the surface of the water, he could see a great long shadow swimming quickly with the slithering movements of a snake, going out towards open water. The fisherman gripped the edge of the pier, his knuckles white, eyes still searching for the boy who had fallen into the water. But, there was nobody.

Zell took off his scarf and overcoat, hanging them in the closet with slow, methodical movements. He took Seifer's coat from him and also hung it up. They'd said barely two words to each other since leaving Balamb's train station. Really, what was there _to_ say? Zell was just tired and emotionally spent. He climbed the stairs, stripping off his black suit and just leaving it scattered all over the floor. He was tired, but he couldn't fall asleep. It wasn't the tired that could be cured by that. It was the tired that came from being mentally drained, and feeling numb all over. He kept replaying memories that involved Squall in his mind over and over again, both the good and the bad. He thought of all the things he wished he'd said, and all the things he wished he'd done differently. They'd stayed behind in Balamb for a couple of weeks after the funeral, just to help out with things. Rinoa was completely falling apart, and her father had insisted on her going back to Deling City, away from Garden and all the reminders of Squall, and where he could keep an eye on her. After much discussion, she'd agreed, and her and Ocean were in the process of moving back to Rinoa's childhood home.

Zell knew he'd been laying on the bed, staring up at the bland ceiling for a while, because it had gotten dark out. Seifer also hadn't come up at all. Zell supposed he went down to the basement to lose himself in work. Eventually, within the stretch of hours, Zell could hear Seifer's footsteps coming up the stairs. Seifer also took off his suit, but folded his neatly on top of the hamper in the corner of the room, doing the same for Zell's discarded clothing. Normally it was Zell who was the neat freak and had to clean everything, but he just couldn't think about those sort of menial tasks right now. Zell slowly looked over as their bed dipped beside him. Seifer didn't lay down, but instead sat beside Zell, looking down into his face.

"You know. It seemed like we would all live forever. It's a stupid thing to think, but we all seemed almost invincible."

Seifer didn't respond at all, other than his fingers tracing over Zell's cheekbone and the lines of his tattoo. He very well knew that 'we' meant the group of them that had gone back in Time Compression and defeated Ultimecia. "I I mean, I knew it wasn't true, that we would die eventually. I mean we're all human, and humans die. But." He covered his face with his hands. "Squall was supposed to live forever."

"That's not possible sweetheart," Seifer whispered, bowing forward and draping his arms across Zell's shoulders, pressing his cheek to the side of Zell's neck.

"I know it's not possible. But I just didn't ever imagine having to go to Squall's funeral. Ocean doesn't have a father now I guess history's repeating itself by making her an orphan. And, Rinoa's falling apart." He sighed. "I'm mad at her for not being strong for Ocean, but I guess I can understand. I'd be a fucking mess if you died, which could actually happen. I mean monsters kill people all the time."

"Zell?"

"Yeah.?"

"I'm not dead."

"But, it _could_ happen."

"Of course it could happen," Seifer murmured, lips pressing to Zell's throat in between words. "And, it will happen. Eventually, I'll die. And, you'll die. I don't want to imagine being without you, but it's something that will happen. Every couple has to deal with it, ever parent and child does. But, it's not something I'm going to dwell on."

"I love you, you know?" Zell said, wrapping his arms tightly around Seifer. "You _do_ know that, right?"

"Yes, I know."

"I just want you to know how I feel in case I never get to say it to you again."

"Stop it," Seifer commanded, sitting up and looking down at Zell. "I'm not goin' anywhere, Dincht."

Zell reached up and stroked the side of Seifer's face with the backs of his fingers, and then gripped Seifer's shoulders and yanked him down for a kiss. Selphie had once told Zell years ago that after funerals was a good time to have hot sex, something he'd scoffed at when she's said it. After all, it was hardly appropriate, and how could you be horny after such a sad event? But, as Seifer's hands touched him, and as their mouths searched one another's, Zell knew what she'd been talking about. Yes, he was so very sad about losing Squall, but with each beat of his heart, it felt like it was exploding in his chest as he touched and was touched by Seifer. It felt good to have someone touching him, confirming the feeling of life as his blood pumped as his heart beat.

Seifer felt the same sort of desperate feelings for love and contact that Zell was feeling, and his hands lavishly stroked over Zell's bare skin, pressing his body firmly down on Zell's, pressing firmly with his pelvis against the other man's. He was doing it hard enough that they slid up the mattress, the blankets bunching under them and becoming untucked. Zell let out a high-pitched little moan as Seifer's crotched pressed down onto his own, both of them hard. Both of their hands shook with desperation as they ran their fingers all over each other's skin, and Zell was making mewling noises he'd never made before as Seifer's mouth tore off his, and started moving down in a straight line down the center of Zell's body. He gasped Seifer's name as the other man's tongue reached the tip of Zell's penis. Zell writhed on the bed, his arms flailing to his sides, fists tightly gripping the sheets, the first thing they could find. He moaned and gasped, his entire body on fire with how sensitive his nerves were. Seifer had given him oral sex hundreds of times, maybe even thousands of times, but in times of great emotional height like this, it felt so very different from all the other times, which had of course been fantastic, but hadn't had this same feeling of huge need and desperation attached to them.

The world was blurry to Zell's eyes as Seifer's mouth covered more of his erection, his tongue doing things that made Zell's chest _hurt_, like there was a big weight on it, like he was having a heart attack. Seifer's hand started to fondle Zell's testicles, his tongue slowly going around and around the shaft of Zell's cock, then moving up to lick across the head, the tip of his tongue nimbly probing the other man's urethra, then sliding back down the length of his penis. He palmed Zell's scrotum, his index and middle finger slowly trailing the underside of Zell's testicles, moving lower and farther until they were teasing the opening to his body. When Seifer's finger started to slowly push into him, Zell's body arched up off the mattress, his head lolling to the side, looking at his nightstand. His hand started fumbling at the drawer, yanking it open. When Seifer deep-throated him, Zell's hand constricted into a fist, and some things were knocked out of the drawer.

Seifer opened his eyes when he heard some things falling to the carpet. He smiled around Zell's penis, knowing that his lover was searching for the condoms. He slowly and agonizingly pulled his mouth off Zell's penis, his fingers still stimulating Zell's rectum from within. When Seifer's mouth pulled off him, Zell let out a little moan of desperation and eagerness. Seifer was very glad when Zell finally got his hands on the box of condoms and chucked it at him, for he was finding it hard to ignore how painfully hard he was. He hastily ripped open one of them, groaning when he put it on himself. Zell was moaning, hips arched up off the bed, rubbing his pelvis against Seifer's genitals and thighs, desperate for any sort of stimulation. Through his moans, garbled and incoherent words were falling out, mostly words that were begging Seifer to fuck him. He was rolled over and quickly jammed into. There was discomfort, but it was a discomfort that Zell didn't mind, and rather craved at that moment.

Zell bowed forward so that his cheek was pressed flat to the bed, wanting it deep, wanting it _hard_. Seifer's hands were strong and firm on his hips, and Zell moaned loudly with each thrust against him, each time Seifer's penis claimed him, stroked through him, rubbed against the walls of his rectum and stimulated his prostate. Seifer's hands slid up Zell's back, then down his arms, their fingers curling together. They were both moaning loudly with each thrust, the groans so violent they were beginning to become sobs. Zell then rose to his knees and bucked Seifer off, turning around to face him. He wanted to be able to kiss Seifer and look into his eyes. He wrapped his arms around Seifer's shoulders, wrapping his legs around Seifer's thighs, gasping against the curve of Seifer's shoulder as he was impaled once more. One of his arms wrapped around Seifer's waist, fingers pulling at his sweaty flesh as he was pushed up against the wall and the headboard, the other hand curling into Seifer's hair. Zell left wet, slobbery kisses all over Seifer's shoulder, neck and the side of his face.

He let out a long gasp when Seifer repeatedly moaned out his name. It was something rather small and silly, but it always drove Zell sexually crazy when Seifer said his name. For most of their relationship, it had been exceedingly rare for Seifer to call him 'Zell', rather than Chicken-Wuss, or some insult to do with his height. Even now, Seifer often called him Dincht rather than by his given name. Seifer did often say his name in the height of lovemaking, but this time, it just meant so much more to Zell. Their lips finally came together as they banged against the wall with each thrust. Zell was pretty sure he was crying by now. How could he not be with the way he was feeling? How could he not be when he felt so fragile, like his life could vanish at the blink of an eye, when he felt so mortal? How could he not be crying when he had this strong, smart, beautiful man who wanted him and loved him, wrapped all around him and so deep inside him?

Seifer and Zell's mouths broke apart as Zell's head lolled back against the wall. Seifer bit into Zell's shoulder when Zell's inner muscles gripped his penis tightly. Zell was panting loudly, his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, muttering things that he probably didn't even realize he was saying. He kept whispering Seifer's name, and saying things like 'fuck me', and begging Seifer to do it harder. "Harder," Zell demanded again. Seifer knew that he was causing Zell a little bit of pain, because he was already fucking him pretty violently. He knew that Zell would have a hard time walking the next morning, and that he was more than likely going to have bruises, but he did it harder, for he was feeling all the same sort of desperate feelings that Zell was. He and Squall had this connecting relationship for so long, like they were sides of the same coin, a shadow of each other. He and Squall hadn't been the best of friends, but there had been deep respect there, and deep friendship in an unconventional way, and it hurt him now that Squall was gone. It made his own mortality seem so much greater. It made him feel all the more alive in moments like this, moments where his body was on fire with lust and love for Zell, when his heart felt too weak to be able to make him function, where all he could think about was how much he loved this man. When Zell came, his whole body went liquid in Seifer's arms, and he was gasping for air like he was drowning. Zell's rectal muscles constricted and relaxed around his erection, feeling so strong and good as he kept thrusting deep into Zell's body. When he came, Zell was still gasping for air, still moaning incoherently for Seifer to fuck his brains out.

Zell was sandwiched between Seifer and the wall, and slid down when Seifer's body lagged, tapped of energy. They both collapsed, Zell winding up on top of Seifer, their limbs akimbo and tangled together. They both panted and tried to catch their breath for a long time, the sheets sticking to their sweaty skin. After a while, Zell sat up, looking down into Seifer's face, which was shining with sweat and looking serene with a calm expression. They were both a mess, not from just the sweat, but also the semen that was splattered on them. Zell slowly stroked Seifer's hair off his forehead and then kissed the tip of his nose, then his lips for a brief moment. When Seifer smiled at him, his peridot eyes soft, Zell felt tears pricking at his eyes, and laughed as he wiped them away, sniffling.

Seifer reached up and wiped away a couple of tears that Zell had missed. "We're not goin' anywhere, Dincht."

Zell lay back down next to Seifer, holding him as tight as he could. It took Seifer's breath away, but he didn't mind. It made him feel anchored and alive. They were both exhausted, but neither fell asleep. They both wanted to stay awake and revel in the moment, their fingers trailing over each other's skin, feeling each other's heartbeats. They didn't say 'I love you' to each other, because it was more than evident how they felt for each other in the way they touched. They both knew that they could die anytime, but didn't think about it at all then. They were too busy treasuring how it felt to be alive and twined together to worry about when or how they'd die. It was a relationship that had started out with such animosity, with a gradual and almost mysterious build to friendship, and then to love. Some people who knew them and their past together would have looked at the pair and wouldn't have given them even a month, or only given them until the lust wore off. But, it had lasted, and it would last, and only death could tear them apart.

Squall was sitting at a long, ornate table, eating a rather nice meal of steak and fresh vegetables, eyes wandering like a curious child to all the surroundings that were quite fascinating to him, but commonplace to Etanin, who sat beside Squall.

"You're learning quite quickly," the King commented as Squall put a carrot piece in his mouth, eyes staring at the weapons on the wall, swords and knives and axes, and a single antique-looking revolver. "I'm impressed. But, you seem to be a fast learner."

"It almost seems natural," Squall murmured.

"It's because it is natural. If you had the ability to see in future, you would have realized what you truly were as a man. That you were special."

"Doesn't Diablos have that ability?" Squall asked.

Etanin gave a quick roll of his dark eyes. "I do not believe in clairvoyance, and he very well knows that."

When he'd seen Bahamut in human form when he'd been human himself, Squall would not have been able to guess his age in the slightest. He'd looked timeless and ageless and so very magical. Now maybe he was seeing the King through his own magical eyes, or maybe it was just because he was up close to him, but Squall could actually see wrinkles at the corners of Etanin's eyes. "Can I ask you something personal?"

"You sure can," Etanin responded, popping an ear of baby corn into his mouth. "Whether I'll answer is another matter entirely."

"How old are you? I mean how old were you when you died?"

Etanin cocked his head, giving a small smile. "Hmmm, I didn't expect that to be your question. I was 42."

"How old were the others?"

"You'd have to ask them, for I know not."

"You don't know the age of any of the others?" Squall asked. "But, why?"

"It never came up, and it's not something we actually care about, especially because we're so old anyway. I, of course, know Thuban's age. I also know Manannan and."

"And, Diablos."

"Yes," Etanin answered tersely. "Thuban was 20, Manannan was 13, and Daeva was 32. And, I also know your age, obviously."

Squall had the feeling he'd made Bahamut angry by mentioning Diablos's name again, so he started to look around the large dining room again. He polished off his plate, and stood up. There was something in the room beyond this that was catching Squall's attention. He went in and found it was a very posh and grand, yet cozy and comfortable, sitting room. It looked like it was still alive itself, as if this is what it had really looked like while Bahamut had been human. Though, it also looked like it had evolved along with the King. There were some modern touches creeping into it, as if he'd recreated things along the ages that had caught his fancy or interested him. It also looked like it was a well-used room, and there were many interesting portraits on the wall, including Thuban, a woman with pale hair and dark, dark eyes, some children - one of them appearing to be a young Etanin Alwaid, a good-looking man in elegant clothing, and one of Daeva.

What had caught Squall's attention was a shelf with some very interesting clocks. They all had different times on them, and some worked in very fascinating ways. One made a very strange sort of ticking noise. There was also an hourglass filled with red sands, and even a digital clock with the time and date on it. "Why so many clocks?"

"I liked to study time as a child, and even a little as a man. I had no magical abilities, but it was something that I still enjoyed. Each tells a different time. This one is stopped at the time of my death, and this one counts the time since the Court began. This one tells time as if it were still measured by the calendar of my kingdom, this tells the time from the moon's phases, and these are modern ones."

Squall looked at one of the digital ones, and boggled at the date and time. "Are these accurate?"

"Yes."

"They can't be."

"Why can't they be?"

"Because. This says it's February 15th, year 5840. That can't be."

"Why not?" Etanin asked patiently. He noticed that Squall's fingers were starting to elongate and grow long claws in his distress.

"Because. Because." Squall shook his head. "It was just 5816. That clock can't be right. It hasn't been 24 years since I died."

"But, it is. Time moves differently for us than it does for humans."

Squall started panting, sliding down to the exquisitely carpeted floor. "But Ocean. My dadno, this. Fuck!" He cursed angrily, balling his hands into fists. He pressed them into his eyes to hold back the tears. "Are they even still alive?!" He stood up. "Is my daughter even still alive? What about Laguna?"

"That isn't part of your life anymore."

"Fuck you!" Squall shouted. Etanin had stood up when Squall did, and was shoved out of the way as Squall moved to leave.

"You can't see them," Etanin said calmly, though his already dark eyes had blackened further in anger.

Squall glared at his new King, and then they were transforming. Squall had started turning into Griever first, and Etanin had followed suit. Griever lunged to attack Bahamut, wanting to leave and see Ocean. What if Laguna was dead? Squall had never told his father how he'd felt about him. Never. But, Bahamut was stopping him.

"_Let me go see them," _Griever growled lowly, slashing out at Bahamut with long claws. He was then airborne, howling in pain when Bahamut's fangs tore into his neck. Bahamut's wings were wide, making him look very angry and very imposing.

__

"It may have only seemed like hours to you, but it has been 24 years for those who knew you. They've made their peace with your death. You want to reopen all those wounds, only to see them die? They WILL die, Griever. They will get old and fade and vanish, and you will have to mourn them over and over. You will mourn them now, for they will look old and frail to you. You will mourn that you aren't there with them. And, there will be nothing you can do about it."

Griever whimpered as he tried to stand, but when he'd been flung back, one of Bahamut's clawed fingers had sliced at his leg, making it hard for him to stand. "_I can bring Ocean here. Like you did with Thuban."_

"It doesn't work that way," Bahamut pointed out. _"It was just chance that made her like us, too. That doesn't mean it will happen to your child, as well."_ He folded his wings on his back. _"Besides, we have something to attend to." _Bahamut closed his black eyes, which had been bleeding to dangerous green, and Griever was able to stand once more, feeling a warmth from within him, completely healed. _"Lady of Song, come to me."_

After a few moments, there was a magical, musical sound in the air, and gold dust seemed to fall from nowhere, and then Siren was there in the sitting room with Griever and Bahamut. She looked at Griever with her opalesque eyes showing surprise. He just watched her back. He'd almost forgotten that there was an entire court outside him and Bahamut. She slowly nodded to him, and then looked to her King. _"Yes, my Lord?"_

"Gather the rest of the court here," he instructed. _"We have a new member to introduce, after all."_

She nodded and disappeared again.

__

"But."

"I strongly advise you to leave your human family alone. Don't doom yourself to having to watch them die, and them to having to see you remain the same. Now, I've prolonged this Court meeting because I wanted you to have a decent grip on your power, for at a gathering of all of us, it is quite a lot of magic all together in a relatively small area, and can be very trying in terms of maintaining control of yourself."

Griever just stayed silent, wanting to stare defiantly at Bahamut, but turning his gaze away, staring at the floor, but showing with his body language that he was displeased with Bahamut's suggestion. But, he was a little curious about what the other Summons would be like. He knew them from when he'd Junctioned them years and years ago during Time Compression, but it would be a little different seeing them through Griever's eyes. There were so many things that were curious and interesting to him in this new place, and while he found it all very interesting, he also found it a little disturbing. With all these things he was finding fascinating, he was starting to forget little things about his human life, and the realization that all these years had gone by made him so very sad about forgetting them even a little, because Ocean and Rinoa and Laguna were all still very much alive. Bahamut kept his dark eyes on Griever, watching him very carefully.

After a while, Squall started to feel the weight of power starting to push down on him. _"If any of the Court come to visit you, you will feel them. It also helps you feel if there is an invader. Lots of the Court put of barriers around their own world, not wanting visitors or intruders. Not just from our Court, but from any sort of magical intruder."_

"It kind of hurts"

"Yes," Bahamut agreed. He turned into Etanin once more, and gestured for Griever to do the same. "I like to have everyone in their weaker, human form during meetings. It prevents that feeling of pain and illness, and also keeps egos in check. At least a little better."

"Does it hurt whenever you visit another's world?" Squall asked.

"I am King. My power is what holds this Court together. My power helps keep all the Court members' powers alive. My power even helps make your worlds, at least a little. So, no it is different for me, and for the Messengers."

"Messengers"

"Siren and Diablos." Etanin gestured for Squall to follow him down a long, wide hallway. "They were both magical creatures before becoming like this, so they have very strong magical defence, which helps them come and go as they please to deliver messages and run errands."

"Diablos is a faerie. So, Siren is too?"

"Yes. Well, not fully. By the time Aria was born, faerie blood was very diluted by human blood, so she's only one-eighth fey, or less. Daeva is fully half."

Squall pursed his lips when he saw figures milling around the large dining room. Some were sitting at the table talking amongst themselves, but when Squall and Etanin walked in, they all turned their heads and stared. They bowed their heads to their King, their eyes only for Squall. He felt very uncomfortable, his anti-social tendencies remaining even in this new life. Squall stuck pretty close to Etanin, watching each Summon very carefully, putting faces to their powers. He didn't do much talking as Etanin addressed them all after they'd all seated themselves at the long, elegant table. He watched Etanin as he spoke, noticing the three empty seats. A seat directly at Etanin's right side, for Diablos. A seat beside Shiva, in her Parminder form, for Alexander, and a seat at Etanin's Leviathan's left that was always empty. Tiamat's chair. Squall was sure that Diablos and Tiamat weren't something that Etanin wouldn't want to talk about, but Squall was curious all the same.

Squall's mind wandered away, thinking of various different things, much like his mind always had wandered during Garden meetings. Before he really knew it, Summons were starting to leave. He could see some of them were hanging around, trying to catch his gaze. Manannan mac Lir, with all the boldness of a child, came right over and sat on the table, feet kicking innocently by Squall's right elbow.

"How's it going?" He asked. Squall's eyes looked for Etanin, but the King was speaking with Shiva and a big black man that Squall found out was Doomtrain.

Squall just gave a shrug. "Whatever."

"Etanin can be a bit prickly" Manannan smiled in a very charming way that made Squall's heart constrict. It reminded him of Ocean. "But, he does know what he's talking about, and he's taken quite the shine to you."

"Hmmm.?" Squall raised an eyebrow, not looking at Manannan, rather at a woman in a wheelchair who looked like she had cerebral palsy. Eden.

"He likes you quite a bit."

Squall's scarred brow then furrowed, his eyes looking to the silver-haired child beside him. "_Likes _me?"

Manannan laughed loudly, leaning forward. Squall's nostrils were filled with the smell of sea-water. "Not like that. Though you are his type."

"What's that? His type?" Squall asked a little nervously.

"A strong-willed man with a soft, pretty mouth and a body that's so very masculine. I'm sure he loves that about you. Or, he would if he weren't so hooked on Daeva."

Squall pursed his lips, feeling a little relief. "Oh."

"He likes you in the sense that you were a good Master to us, that you didn't use our powers for your own gain. You used them for a noble cause. He finds that admirable. And you bring out paternal feelings in him."

That comment made Squall think of Ocean again, and of Laguna. Was Laguna still even alive?

"I seem to have upset you" Manannan trailed off.

"No. I'm just overwhelmed."

"That can happen." Manannan then vaulted himself off the table. "Like everything, it just takes time. Good thing you have lots of it." Leviathan's human form went over to Etanin, stood on his tiptoes and whispered something in his King's ear, then vanished.

"How did your control feel?" Etanin asked after they were all alone.

"Fine," Squall muttered distractedly.

"You're obviously deep in thought. Is it anything I can help you with?" Etanin sat at the head of the long table, putting his feet up on the surface.

"I'm just thinking of something Seifer told me. About you."

"About me?" The King asked, intrigued. "What did he say about me?"

"Nothing. It's something that Tiamat told him about you."

Etanin's dark eyes narrowed, and when he replied, his voice had cooled considerably. "I can only imagine what she said about me."

"She said that you were an awful tyrant who murdered her mother and sisters, and hated her simply because she was a woman." Squall slowly cocked his head. "But you don't seem horrible at all."

Etanin pursed his lips, staring at Squall for a long time. "Thuban likes to base her opinion of me on things that aren't fact, and I'll say no more on that issue."

"When are Diablos and Alexander coming back?"

"That is also a subject I do not wish to discuss." He took his feet off the table and glared at Squall. "And, you keep bringing that subject up to me, even though I keep asking you not to."

"Because it's the essence of this existence."

Squall's comment confused Etanin. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"There has to be something more than power," Squall stated, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "Your feelings about Tiamat and Diablos tell me more about what this world is like than all the spell-casting ever could. That there's still something very human here."

Etanin was silent, but his face gradually softened. He was always exceedingly handsome, but when his face showed this kind of expression of softness, he really did look _beautiful_. "That's very perceptive of you."

"Just because I don't talk much doesn't mean I don't see things." He stood from the table. "I'm tired."

Etanin just nodded, watching carefully as Squall disappeared, feeling through the network of his power that the newest member of the Court had indeed made it back safely to his own power-base. He sat at the table alone, thinking of what Squall said to him. Not only about his relationship with Daeva being very telling, but also about Thuban. His feelings about Thuban definitely were more complex than her being a woman instead of a male heir. He didn't want to think about his daughter, and her misguided ideas about him, and about what happened with Mira, her mother. He went back into his sitting room, flopping in his favourite chair, his eyes seeming to focus on the portrait of Daeva hanging on the wall, even though he didn't want to. He did miss Daeva. Terribly. But, he also knew it wasn't time to bring he and Alexander back. He turned into his true form, curling up for rest, which came quickly to him.

Squall slept for a long while, then decided to take a walk around Garden. There were even students wandering around, though none of their faces were recognizable to him, and they all seemed vaguely similar. But, it _really_ almost seemed like home, like it was the real Garden. He noticed that if he concentrated on a certain face for a while, it would change. He saw one girl, and started thinking of all the people he'd left behind, that were still existing in a world that seemed so close and yet too far away for him. As he thought, he thought of the time he'd given Selphie a tour of Garden, and this girl he'd been staring at started to resemble the sprightly brunette.

He sighed and went back up the elevator to his office. Or, an illusion of his office. He didn't know how to think of it. His Garden would exist long after the real Garden had turned to dust. There was something very sad about that. He sat behind his desk, noting that there was even paperwork for him to do in his in-box. His mind started to wander again, and when he concentrated enough on a single person, it was if he could feel them. Could he know how Rinoa, Ocean and the others were doing just by thinking of them? He thought of Ocean and felt a warmth tugging at him. He thought of Rinoa, and felt that same warmth, though the feeling was _much_ dimmer with her. Did this mean because she was old? He thought of Laguna and couldn't feel anything. He thought of Edea and couldn't feel anything. He thought of Seifer for a while, feeling warmth. But, it was ebbing away. Then, he couldn't feel it anymore. When he thought of Zell, he felt a pain in his chest. What did this mean?

Squall started pacing around his office, his mind racing. In his emotional looseness, he'd transformed to Griever. What did it mean that he felt pain when he thought of Zell? Bahamut had warned him not to get involved with the people from his life. But, Bahamut had also taught him concealment spells. Perhaps he could just take a quick look-see. He concentrated on what Zell's face had looked like, the colour of his eyes, and the sound of his voice. He didn't find himself at Seifer's house. He found himself in Timber, he knew this much. He also knew he was at a funeral. Was this why Zell was in pain? Had he died?

Squall wasn't sure what year it was, but he knew it had been a while, because Zell looked much older. He had grey hair that was shorn very short. He had wrinkles, and looked like he hadn't slept in days. Nobody could see Squall, who was now back in his human form, and one woman even walked right through him. Squall's breath caught in his throat when he saw the woman who was sitting beside Zell. It was Ocean. Hyne, she was a woman now. And, she looked very much like Squall himself. She was holding Zell's hand with one of her own, dabbing her eyes with a silk handkerchief with the other. Squall's eyes went to the casket, and saw Seifer laying inside. Seifer he was also much older, but like Zell, wasn't wizened and frail. He still looked like he could sit up at any minute.

Squall looked down at Seifer's face, which looked merely like he was having a peaceful sleep. So he died.. Squall knew exactly what Etanin had been talking about. He felt horrible. It wasn't just the mourning of someone he'd known for his entire life. It was because he was still the same. He realized in this moment that he would see Rinoa's death, Ocean's death, Zell's death, Quistis and Selphie and Laguna and Edea and Sis, and everyone he ever knew. He gripped the edge of Seifer's casket, his eyes slamming shut under his emotions. When the service started, Squall stood off to the side, for there was no room to sit. Squall's eyes searched the crowd. He didn't see Rinoa, and he didn't see Laguna or Edea. There was a very old man sitting near Zell, and Squall recognized it as Cid, though he was on his last legs. The words about Seifer's life sounded far-away to Squall. He was only really concentrating on Zell's face, and how dead and haunted he looked. Squall could feel somehow that Zell was dying, too. The only thing that snapped his concentration away from his former best friend was the sight of someone lurking in the doorway to the room where the funeral was being held. They were just standing in the doorway, partially in the shadows of a large plant in the corner. They had no interest in coming in, but were just watching curiously. Daeva.

Squall wondered if Diablos's human form could see him. Even though Zell, Seifer and Ocean had all aged, Daeva had not. True, he'd been existing for all this human time, but he had not aged. Squall went towards Daeva's position, not sure if he was going to even say anything to the other Summon, but as he got closer, he felt a revolt in his powers. It almost crippled him, and made him halt any movement. Etanin appeared before him, and nobody in the room paid any mind, for they couldn't see him either.

"Don't you dare approach him."

Squall panted, looking up into his King's eyes.

"What are you even doing here?"

"I. Had to see." Squall gasped out. Bahamut's power was like a tank being dropped on him. "They don't know I'm here."

"I never mentioned this to you before, but I _will_ mention it now. I forbid you to speak to Daeva. I forbid you to speak to Alexander. I forbid you to visit them, to let them feel any thread of your power, or to even see you. Banishment is banishment, Griever."

"If he has no powers, how would he feel me?" Squall asked, Etanin pulling back some of his power, making Squall able to speak properly at least.

"He would still know."

"What's he even doing here.?" Squall wondered to himself. He noticed that Etanin purposely did not look at Daeva. Maybe it was because the Lord of Dragons didn't want to? Maybe it would crumble his resolve?

"He would feel like Seifer Almasy was connected to him somehow, even if he couldn't remember him. For, Daeva and Alexander's human minds cannot possibly remember all that they have seen and existed for. It's just too much for a human brain to comprehend."

"You aren't looking at him."

Etanin glowered at Squall. "It hurts to see them die, doesn't it?" He asked cruelly. "I warned you, didn't I?"

Squall just crossed his arms and looked away. But, then he started at Etanin and shot back. "You know, why can't you just be together, and that be the end of it? Why can't you just be happy with him?" His eyes went to the coffin, wishing he'd been able to express the same sentiments to Seifer and Zell when it had really mattered.

"Hmph." Etanin vanished. It _had_ hurt him to be so near to Daeva, so had purposely not even looked at him. He couldn't have stood it to stare into his blue and black eyes and just turn his back on Daeva again.

Squall looked around and saw that people were starting to leave. He followed at length behind Zell, who got in the backseat of a car with Ocean, and drove away. Ocean looked so pretty. Squall put a hand to his mouth, sighing deeply. His little girl. He walked down the sidewalk, still invisible, still feeling that pain in him when he thought of Zell. And, what happened to Laguna and Edea? Where was Rinoa? It was a long walk to Seifer's house from Timber, but Squall didn't find it lengthy at all. He didn't bother knocking on the front door, since it's not like Zell could see him, anyway.

When he found Zell, upstairs in his bedroom, Squall was quite sure that more time had passed than a few hours. Zell looked much skinnier than he had at Seifer's wake, and Squall could tell just from looking at him that this would probably be his last night alive.

"Squall.?" Zell's tired voice asked.

He started, only realizing just now that in his distress over Zell's sickly, emaciated appearance that he'd dropped his shields. He panted, staring at Zell in horror, wondering what he was going to do.

"I I wondered if I'd see you you know, one last time?"

Squall shook his head, completely perplexed.

"You look good. And, you don't have to say it to me, since I know I look like shit" Zell trailed off into a fit of coughs. After they subsided, he looked up at Squall. "Seifer knew. After you died, we helped Rinoa." He stopped, coughing some more. "We helped Rinoa sort out your stuff. He felt it when he touched your pendant. He felt that it was an icon item."

"He he knew?"

"Not surprising, I guess."

Squall pursed his lips and sat on the edge of the bed. "Why didn't he Junction me, then?"

Zell sighed. Squall could hear the breath rattling in Zell's lungs. "Because he didn't want to," Zell answered. "He thought it would be a bad idea."

"How how did he die.?"

Zell closed his eyes. "He died right here." It would have been typical for Seifer to die because he was being attacked by a monster during his item hunting trips. But, that wasn't the case at all. Seifer had survived against countless monsters, and died in his sleep because of a brain aneurysm. "I remember him kissing me goodnight, the same as he did every night" Zell started coughing again, hardly able to breathe because of the violence of the hacks. "I fell asleep with his arms around me, and woke up wrapped in his dead body. I'd always said that I couldn't. that I couldn't live without him. I guess it was true." Zell laughed bitterly, coughing again. "I only lasted a month."

Squall scooched across the bed, slowly reaching out and touching Zell's shoulder in a comforting gesture. His fingers hovered above Zell for a while, a little afraid to touch him. When he finally touched Zell, he could feel that Zell was dying of what had started as stomach cancer, and had spread to his lungs and kidneys.

"What's it like.?" Zell asked.

"Overwhelming," Squall answered after some thought. "What about what about my dad?"

"Laguna?" Zell started coughing again. He reached towards a glass of water that was on his nightstand. Squall got it for him, handing it to the dying man. "Thanks." Zell took a long drink. "He died about ten years ago. Heart attack. Edea died, too. The woman who inherited Edea's power, a Sorceress named Gruagach. She controls Esthar now."

"And Rinoa.?"

"Died last year. Alcohol poisoning."

Squall furrowed his scarred brow. "Alcohol poisoning.?" This was strange to him, because Rinoa _rarely_ drank.

"After you died, she became a lush. She was always drunk."

Squall frowned deeply, but could hardly stay mad at a dead woman as he was staring down into Zell's chalk-white face, with the black circles under his icy blue eyes. "I could feel that you were dying. But, I didn't feel the others."

"I've been sick for a long time." Zell started coughing again, this time bringing up blood.

Squall watched sadly. This was his best friend, and yet he felt so very detached from the whole thing. _Because this isn't your world anymore, Squall. That's why._

"I thought that I' first" Zell started coughing again.

"How much longer.?"

Zell smiled sadly. "I won't live the night."

Squall reached out again, and stroked his hand over Zell's hair. "Then, why aren't you in a hospital?" He whispered.

"I don't want to die in a hospital. I want to die here. At home. Where Seifer died. I mean I don't have anyone left, Squall. I'd be alone." He coughed again, sounding so very tired. "I'd be alone there too, but at least here, I have my memories."

Squall moved across the mattress further, wrapping his arms around Zell's shoulders. "I'll stay with you." He rested his cheek on the top of Zell's head, feeling how skinny Zell was, how close to death he was. "Zell I never told you this." Squall sighed. He wanted to say so many things, but nothing would come out.

Zell laughed, though it sounded very rattled and unhealthy. "You don't have to say anything, Squall."

"No, I want to."

"Nice to see you haven't changed." He coughed again, tasting blood in his mouth.

"I always wanted to tell you" Squall closed his eyes sadly, feeling Zell's life ebbing away from him. And, yet Zell felt ready to go. "That I'm happy for you. That I'm glad you were so happy with Seifer. I shouldn't have let my sense of duty to Garden blind me to what was right."

Zell put his arms around Squall's thin waist. "I never told you that I forgave you."

"Xu told me that I had to think about Garden, that I couldn't be blinded by our friendship I should have seen through her."

"Don't worry about it," Zell murmured. "I'm sorry I was so angry with you for so long."

"You don't have anything to apologize over," Squall said. "You did what was right. You did what was right for the man you loved. I should have known that better than anyone. How many times did I break the rules for Rinoa?" He asked rhetorically.

"You know.?" Zell said after a while. "I think this is the first time you've ever hugged me like this. Maybe that's part of the reason I." He stopped, coughing again. "Why I got so mad when I heard about you and Seifer hugging in the hospital that one time."

"That was a long time ago"

"I know. But, this just made me think about it."

They were quiet for a long time. It felt only like a moment to Squall, but it had actually been hours. "Squall?"

"Hmm?"

"I can feel your magic. How strong you are. What what is your form?"

"Griever," Squall answered, biting his lip. It wasn't only himself he was going to have to fight thousands of years in the future. It was Zell too, and Rinoa, and Selphie, Irvine and Quistis too.

"I'm not surprised.." Zell laughed a little. "So, I guess I'll be seeing you again, huh? So is Bahamut as horrible as Tiamat said?"

"No," Squall answered quietly, his voice strong with his sureness. Though he'd only been Griever for a short time, he already had such strong loyalty to his King.

Zell started a fit of coughs that sounded wet and painful. He had tears trickling down his cheeks afterwards. "I wonder if there's any sort of afterlife for normal people, I mean?" Zell looked up at Squall. "Oh sorry."

"It's okay. True, too. I'm not really normal anymore."

"Maybe I'll get to see Seifer again." Zell disentangled himself from Squall's embrace, which felt strong and so very magical, and lay back against the pillows, his face sweaty and looking grey. "Nobody thought we would ever last but, we did. We lasted."

Squall also lay down, watching Zell, whose eyes were now closed. Zell's breath sounded struggled, and tears pooled in the corners of Squall's eyes, watching his friend painfully struggle for every breath. "Zell?" Squall asked quietly. "I've only ever told three other people this, but I love you." He'd only ever said those three words to Rinoa, Ocean and Ellone. He'd never even told his own father that, and now Laguna was gone, and Squall would never get the chance to tell him.

And, Zell was gone, too. Squall felt the energy leave his body, and he heard the rattle of Zell's last breath in his diseased lungs. Squall kissed Zell's forehead, and then stood up. He found his hands were shaking as he picked up the telephone and dialled 911. He left the phone off the hook beside the cradle, hearing the dispatcher on the other end. Squall walked out of the bedroom that Zell and Seifer had shared, pain constricting his heart as he had to walk by pictures of Seifer and Zell hanging on the walls, progressing from somewhat recent to back when they were young. He nearly lost his footing and fell down the rest of the steps when he saw Etanin standing at the foot of the stairwell.

"You couldn't leave well enough alone, hmm?"

"I had to see him." Squall finished walking down the stairs, wiping the tears off his cheeks. "And, I'm glad I came."

"You don't seem glad."

"I'm not glad he's dead, but I'm glad that I saw him one last time. I got to tell him things I should have said a long time ago."

The Lord of Dragons cocked his head far to the side, a thoughtful look on his face. He'd been Bahamut for so long that true human emotion seemed almost alien to him. It would feel the same to Squall when he'd been Griever for thousands and thousands of years. The emotions that they felt were memories of real emotions, not as concentrated, not as genuine as real emotions. They of course felt happiness and sadness and love and anger, but it just wasn't the same.

"He was in so much pain" Squall trailed off, looking at a picture of Seifer and Zell that must have been taken not long after they started dating. "But, he didn't complain. And he wasn't afraid of me, even though he knew what I am." His lips quivered. "I was such a bastard to him, but he didn't care. He was just happy to see me." A tear slid down the side of his face, and Squall made a displeased noise that he was crying in front of Bahamut. He probably seemed so weak and foolish, sure he was a disappointment. After all, creatures this powerful didn't cry.

Etanin reached out and touched the side of Squall's pretty face, then collected him in a hug. The last time he'd shared a hug with anyone was when he'd said his goodbye to Daeva. The two were very different embraces, thought brought up the same feelings in Etanin. The same feeling of hating to hear either Daeva or Squall cry. Hugging Squall made Etanin think of Thuban, for this was a rather paternal embrace. He felt fatherly things for Squall, and it touched the emptiness in him that were his fatherly emotions towards his estranged daughter. Squall's words though made him think of Daeva. Squall's comments about getting to say things he'd never got to say made Etanin think of all the things he'd never said to Daeva in the millions of years the Dark Messenger had been his companion. Because he was King, there was always something to attend to, and to divert his attentions, but in moments like this, he really _noticed_ Daeva's absence, and how much Etanin missed him.

Squall held Etanin back tightly, really feeling _home_ when he was near Bahamut's power, which was in turn the Court's power. "Come now," Etanin said quietly. "We should leave before anyone comes."

Squall nodded, and found himself in his bedroom in the Balamb Town apartment he, Rinoa and Ocean had lived in. But, there were some changes. It almost looked like a cross between the bedroom, and his dorm room in Garden when he'd been a teenager. Squall sat down in a comfy armchair in the corner, holding his head in his hands. "You must think I'm pathetic" He trailed off into his hands.

"Why would I think that?" Etanin asked quietly. "We all cry at times."

"Even you?" Squall asked bitterly, wiping his face again and running shaking fingers through his light brown hair.

"Even me."

Squall frowned, because he hadn't expected Etanin to answer. "You probably don't want me to ask what about."

"That would be correct, though I'm sure you've made some guesses."

"I can't believe they're all gone." He stood up. "I'm tired again."

"We spend much of our time sleeping. Because you were in their world, you were using power without really even knowing it." He crossed his arms. "Do you wish to be alone now?"

Squall nodded slowly, wondering if he should say some sort of thanks to Etanin for comforting him. But, the King left as Squall was still contemplating it. He collapsed on the bed, thinking about the colour of Zell's eyes and the smell of Rinoa's perfume. He'd never got to say goodbye to his wife. And, he never would be able to say goodbye to Ocean. He knew that when he woke up, she'd be long dead. And, even thinking this, he crawled gladly into bed, mourning not only Zell and Ocean's future death, but the death of any people he'd known as Squall Leonhart.

2500 years later, things had changed dramatically in the human world, but it was all the same in the Summon Court. Squall was still learning the nuances of his new existence, but had already learned so much, and was already excessively powerful. Now, he was preparing himself for Time Compression, which would happen soon. In the human world, Esthar was on the downward spiral of a new Sorceress War. The children's children's children many times over of Gruagach, the Sorceress that had inherited Edea's power, were replaying the horror's of Adel's tyranny, though nobody who lived now really remembered Adel, and only librarians knew her name from mouldy old tomes of history. The great city of Esthar was falling, and falling hard. Squall kept an eye on the situation without getting involved. After all, Esthar was close to his heart. It was his father's city.

Etanin cared little for the fall of Esthar. He had a task that he'd known was coming since Time Compression had happened when Squall and his friends had been children. The death of his daughter, and the eradication of Tiamat as a member of the Court. He still freshly had in his mind when Squall had been there when his friend had died, and now he himself was walking to Thuban's bedchambers, so familiar to him, because her world showed the same castle as what was recreated in his own world. The bedchambers where he'd found his daughter dying and sexually violated by Tarsem-Sepra's invaders. Tarsem-Sempra had been the grandfather of Daeva's former king, Ronouve-Sempra. In fact, Ronouve's Kingdom had been built out of the ruins of Etanin's lands. When he came into Thuban's bedroom, she was sitting among velvet and satin cushions, staring out a large window that overlooked the green farming valleys that had been the backbone of the Genoa Highlands economy. She was in her human form, her dragon form of Tiamat already separating from her power base, becoming something entirely different.

"I'm surprised you actually came."

Thuban turned to look over her shoulder. With her motion, it was like she'd been made of cellophane for a moment. She'd become translucent, see-through. She was more vanishing than dying. She wouldn't die until Squall killed her dragon body in Ultimecia's castle, but what made her Thuban Alwaid would die today. "Why should you be surprised?" He asked. "You're my only child."

"You know that's not true. I had two sisters!" She looked out the window again, becoming translucent again, the sun filtering through the ghost of her body. "But, you never think about them, do you?"

"I can't believe you still hold onto lies about me, Thuban."

"You saw they were girls, and you drowned them before they could even be named!"

"They were stillborn, Thuban. You never cared to hear that. You believed that I murdered them because you believe I was a monster."

"You _are_ a monster," she muttered. "You murdered Mother. And, don't lie, because I _saw it_."

"You saw me mercifully end Mira's life. She was sick, and in terrible pain."

Thuban just shook her head.

"She didn't want to tell you because you were so young."

"I saw you slit her throat!" Thuban stood up, nearly disappearing right then. "So, don't you fucking lie to me."

"It is not in my nature to lie," Etanin said smoothly, not reacting to Thuban's anger. "Your mother asked me to end her life, because she was in unbearable pain, and it was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do. You must remember how she looked the months before it happened? How skinny and pale she was?"

"You always hated her. Just because she was a woman. Just like you always hated me."

"I loved your mother."

"Loved her enough to fuck any pretty-boy that came along?"

"Your mother understood what the culture was like. I didn't love your mother as I loved Asterope, or love Daeva, but I loved her all the same." Asterope was the name of the companion that Etanin had in his human life. He'd had a few men, but Asterope was always his favourite. "I lost my best friend that day."

"I don't believe you. How can I believe the word of a murderer?"

"I don't want my last moments with you to be like this, Thuban!" Etanin exclaimed, exasperated. "You're my daughter, and I love you."

Thuban's angry expression slowly softened, and she looked at her father in wonder. "You? You love me?" She then looked angry again. "I've wanted you to say that to me my entire life, and you say it _now_, when I'm about to die?"

"There's a lot of things I should have said to you."

"Then, why didn't you?" She asked, sitting back down among her cushions. Now, even when she wasn't moving, Etanin could see the sunlight starting to filter through her.

"Stubbornness, a fear of my feelings. Anger at your accusations about Mira." He crouched beside her.

"Why are you saying it _now_?"

"I've had some time to think."

"Squall Leonhart must be having an effect on you," she murmured. "He was still very human when his friend died." She looked out the window again. "His friend's companion, Seifer Almasy, was the best Master I ever had. I mourned him." She looked to her father once more. "You treat Griever the way I wish you'd treated me. Like a father." She picked up a cushion and put it in her lap. "I think you also are very lonely now that Daeva's been gone. It's even been a long time for our kind. You miss him."

"I don't want to talk about that."

"If I say I believe you where Mother is concerned, why did you never try to set me straight?" Thuban asked, slowly vanishing before Etanin's eyes.

"I did try," Etanin snapped, anger starting to rise into his voice. He took a deep breath. "I did try," he repeated more gently. "You are as stubborn as I am, and wouldn't hear of it."

She didn't reply, probably because her father's words hit a little too close to home. "I can hear her talking to me," Thuban murmured after a while. "I knew this would happen, and I wanted to so blame you for it. I wanted to know that you shunning me is what was killing me, and would eventually destroy me. But I cannot blame you. It's her."

Etanin frowned, knowing very well that 'her' meant Ultimecia.

"And, it could happen to your lion, too. Everyone is aware of what was going to transpire in Time Compression, because we already saw it. But, nobody knows what's going to happen afterwards. She junctions herself onto Griever. Perhaps he will not survive."

"He has not mentioned hearing Ultimecia speak to him."

"Ultimecia may be mortal, but she has a long life, her time mage abilities prolonging her existence longer than is natural. His term in the Court may be of short duration." She looked out the window, not saying anything else. Moment by moment, she became thinner and thinner, the window pane clear through her now. Etanin could not think of anything to say to her as she disappeared right before him.

"This conversation was actually nice" She mused. Though, her mouth didn't seem to move. She barely had a mouth anymore, and was more a ghost than any sort of concrete being. "Having a conversation like this with you." Thuban then vanished completely as she said "too bad it was too late, Father." What was left of her was floating in the rays of sunlight like dust, and it shimmered like gold. Etanin stuck his hand out, the gold dust passing through his fingers before it disappeared out of sight. He kneeled there for a while, the cushions still indented where Thuban had been sitting. He had his eyes closed, and when he opened them, he was in the same room, in Thuban's bedchamber, but it looked vastly different than it just had.

This wasn't the bedroom of Thuban's memory and of her creation. This was the bedchamber of Etanin's creation and of _his_ memory. Thuban's world had disappeared, and he was back in his own realm. The sweet smell of vanilla flowers and exotic incense no longer hung in the air, and the comfortable cushions were far from pristine. They were covered in blood, as was the floor where he kneeled. The entire room was sprayed with blood, bodies of a few dead invaders on the floor, surrounding the large bloodstains. Most of the blood was Thuban's. This was the last place he'd seen his daughter, and the last real memory he had of her from her human life. Where she'd fought off her attackers as best she could, in true Alwaid fashion, though there had been too many for her. This is where Etanin had discovered her broken and raped body, and where his own swan song had begun. Where he'd fought off countless troops before facing Tarsem-Sempra himself.

Etanin got up and slowly walked around the room, looking at items that had belonged to Thuban. It made him realize that he hadn't known her at all. He hadn't let himself get to know her because of his pride, his temper, and his stubbornness. There were some old toys on a shelf that she'd had as a girl, as wel as some stuffed animals. There was one of a lion that made the Lord of Dragons think of Squall. Could what Thuban said be true? Could Squall have already begun to hear Ultimecia's voice? Could he die after the fight with his past self? The future beyond Time Compression was indeed unknown. Anything was possible. He walked out of the bloodstained room, the door closing and locking on its own behind him as he walked down the long, wide halls of his human castle. He meant to go speak with Griever, but he felt something tugging within him. A pain in the center of him, at the core of his power. It was a familiar feeling, because he'd felt it before. Time Compression was starting. He must have been kneeling before where Thuban had vanished longer than he thought. Etanin then became Bahamut, and he spread his power out to all the members of the Court, including Alexander and Daeva, trying to pay close attention to Squall, realizing for the first time since he'd become Bahamut, he'd run out of time.

Squall walked across a desolate field that was sure was normally green and alive. He wasn't sure where it was, but he knew why he was here. He could feel himself being pulled in two other directions, but he kept going in this one. One direction was from Ultimecia. He'd been playing Triple Triad with Manannan (something that much of the Court did to pass the endless time), and he'd felt a huge shudder go through him, and his power. It had actually toppled things off the shelves in his office where they'd been playing, and been like an earthquake of sorts. Leviathan had explained that it was Bahamut's power, since each of their realms was part their King's magic as well. It was his grief that Thuban had left the Court forever, and was now just a dragon. But, shortly after that, another tremor had moved through them, and this one Leviathan knew was because of Time Compression. Bahamut had sent his power out to protect all the members of the Court. They may have all been more powerful magically than Ultimecia, but even they could fall prey to compressed time. It felt almost like he was on a leash that was keeping track of him. It made Squall feel safe, especially because the other force that was pulling him was one that made him feel the exact opposite. Ultimecia.

Shortly after Bahamut had stringed the Court together with his power, Squall had started to hear whispers in his mind, and felt a gentle tugging at his heart. It was Ultimecia junctioning him. He knew that she would call him in battle, and then junction herself onto him, but Squall was ready. He'd had to be ready since he became Griever. His past self would defeat her, and Griever would defeat her again. He would come after her on both fronts. He would have to face her soon, but there was a task he wanted to complete. Ultimecia's Castle was far from here, on a dark beach lining an angry ocean. Squall stood on the shores, hands in the pockets of his long, black leather jacket, seeing why he'd come to this remote area.

"What are you doing here?" Seifer asked. He was laying in the sand, staring up at the stars, which were falling and shooting across the sky, reacting to the strange universe Ultimecia had created. "Aren't you supposed to be saving the day, being the hero?"

Squall didn't say anything. He crossed the gap between him and Seifer, sitting in the sand beside him. Seifer sat up, and Squall noticed he looked pretty beat-up.

Seifer studied Squall's face. This was a guy he knew really well, but he almost felt like he was looking at a stranger. "You look _different_."

Squall just shrugged. After all, this wasn't the same Seifer that had found out what Squall really was simply by touching his Griever pendant. This was Seifer when he was 18, so Squall had to be careful about what he said and did. Though, at least in his favour, he knew that Seifer wouldn't be able to remember much of Time Compression. Squall knew because he hadn't been able to remember much of it himself. At least, his _human_ mind hadn't been able to remember.

"No, really." Seifer leaned forward, peering closely at Squall's profile. "You've got wrinkles!"

Squall cocked his head and looked at Seifer. Yes, it was true that he had crow's feet. After all, this was Seifer when he was 18, but Squall's human guise was that of his 36 year old self.

"Is this because of Time Compression?" Seifer asked, sighing deeply. "Hyne, I fucked everything up so badly." He rubbed his scarred forehead. "What have I done?"

"Don't think so highly of yourself," Squall muttered, letting some sand run through his fingers. "It was all Ultimecia. She wanted a puppet, and she needed a puppet, and she chose you. You couldn't have done anything to stop her. She's more powerful than you are."

Seifer snorted. "Way to make me feel better, Leonhart. You do have a knack for the sensitive emotional stuff."

"I'm not here to make you feel better," Squall pointed out. "I'm just stating a fact."

"You're not the same Squall."

"And, you're not the same Seifer you were even hours ago."

Seifer pursed his lips, staring out to the ocean. "How are you ever going to defeat her?" Seifer asked. "You can't."

"We'll try. She has no defences against friendship and love" Squall trailed off. He hadn't thought of Laguna's advice about how not to be destroyed in Time Compression since he'd actually said it 3000 years ago. Maybe Bahamut was thinking along the same lines to help protect his kingdom.

"You better not let Chicken-Wuss screw it up that little fuck-up," Seifer muttered, but it was with a smile that bordered between amused and sad. He then frowned deeply. "I'm the fuck-up, though." He bowed, forehead pressed to his knees. "I guess Xu and Cid are right about me, huh? I can't do anything right."

"That's not what Cid thinks," Squall said quickly. "Not at all."

Seifer let out a sarcastic noise, muffled by his legs. "That old bastard wishes I was you."

"He doesn't," Squall whispered. He wished he could assure Seifer that Cid loved him dearly, but he couldn't tell him the truth. He couldn't change the past like that.

"Everyone wishes I was you," Seifer muttered bitterly. "Nobody would even care if I didn't come home, if I just stayed here on this fucking beach and waited for Ultimecia to finally kill me."

"You know Almasy, it isn't like you to give up. You're not alone.... you have someone waiting for you back home. The man of your dreams." Squall pursed his lips, knowing he'd slipped up. After all, this Seifer didn't know that Squall knew he was gay.

Seifer looked up from his knees. "What?"

The 'rivals' stared at each other for a while, Squall realizing that Seifer saw that he wasn't all that he seemed, that he was Squall Leonhart, and yet he wasn't. Squall looked away, to a point in the horizon that no human eye could see, but Squall's magical eyes could see as Ultimecia's Castle. He was looking because she was calling him.

__

Griever, I kall you. I wish you to bring terror to these children.

Squall stood up, brushing sand off his butt and legs. He started walking back up the beach, walking to his fight with himself, with his friends and loved ones.

"Wait!" Seifer called, standing up. His grey trenchcoat was in tatters, and he took a step forward, hobbled by a leg injury. "How how did you know?"

Squall looked over his shoulder. "You won't remember this, but I'm sorry. For the tribunal, for not trusting you."

Seifer shook his head, looking utterly perplexed. He swore when Squall vanished right before him, wondering exactly what he'd meant about someone waiting for him, about the man of his dreams

Squall appeared in Ultimecia's chamber, in a room that looked like her bedroom, rather than the throne room he'd seen her in. She was sitting in front of an elaborate looking vanity. Her gold eyes with their hourglass pupils looked at Squall's reflection in the mirror, her lavishly painted face showing her confusion. Squall had not bothered to hide his human form, wondering if Ultimecia had known that Squall Leonhart and Griever were one in the same. Judging from her reaction, she had not.

"You!" She exclaimed, though her voice was shaking a little.

"Well" Squall examined his nails, being more sarcastic and easy than he thought he would have been able to while facing her. "Uhh, you did call me, didn't you?"

"Griever."

Squall just raised his eyebrows in response.

She shook her head, but then her shocked expression became one of dark glee. She clapped her hands. "Oh, I should have seen that you were more than just a regular human. That you would rise beyond your dirt roots of being a SeeD and grown into something far greater than mortal flesh kould imagine." She glided towards him, the smell of her perfume filtering into Squall's nostrils. It smelled dark, sensual and exotic. "Or, perhaps this is just a guise. Perhaps you are just trying to unnerve me."

"Perhaps," Squall murmured. "I know very well what you want me to do."

"I am your Mistress," Ultimecia hissed, her sulphuric eyes narrowing. "You must obey whatever I ask of you, is that not korrect?"

"You will ask me to fight the SeeD from the past, and defend you."

"Yesssss. I wish you to utterly destroy them, to kill them."

"You cannot ask me to kill anyone for you. But, I will not set out to murder."

She shrugged as if she didn't care, but Squall knew she didn't like this answer. "It matters not, dark Lion. You are far more powerful than those kursed SeeD. Even if you didn't mean to kill them, it would happen anyway."

"Whatever."

Ultimecia grinned a serpentine smile. "You don't seem afraid of me, Griever. I am very powerful."

"As am I."

She bared straight white teeth, her gold eyes gleaming evilly. "Tiamat was also very powerful. Look what bekame of it."

Squall sneered at her. "You shouldn't be so confident."

"You shouldn't doubt how powerful I am. Look at what I've akkomplished." She spread her arms out, a smile on her face. "I've kompressed time itself. I've made all time into one, where I rule supreme, where I am Kween, where I am _everything_."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall on their tattooed asses." Squall disappeared from her sight as she harrumphed.. "See you in battle, Ulty."

When Squall woke up, he was laying on the floor of his bathroom. He groggily sat up, the side of his face feeling sore from being pressed to the unforgiving tile of the bathroom floor. He ran his hands through his hair, wondering what the heck he was doing on the floor, anyway. He stood up, everything spinning. Something had just happened. That's right he and Rinoa, and Zell, Quistis, Selphie and Irvine, had just fought Ultimecia. They'd just saved the world from Time Compression. But wasn't he supposed to meet Rinoa in the flower field by Edea's orphanage, like they'd promised? He stumbled out of the bathroom, determined to find Rinoa. But hadn't he got lost in Time Compression.? Or, had that been all a dream?

His surroundings were swimming, and when he came into his bedroom (the one in Balamb Town that he'd shared with Rinoa was he still lost in Time? Or, had Ultimecia really won?), he stumbled and nearly fell to his knees. But, he was prevented by someone catching him before he could tumble.

"Drink this," a soothing voice commanded. Squall took a glass that was offered to him, rubbing his eyes. He focused his vision on the person who was sitting beside him on the bed. Etanin.

"Glad to see you're still with me, Griever. Drink up."

Squall did so, shaking his head.

"Confusion is natural, especially after Ultimecia tried to junction herself onto you."

Squall finished the rest of the drink, tasting that it was brandy. "I thought it was the past" He muttered, panting.

"I'm quite impressed with you, Squall." Etanin looked sidelong at the youngest member of the Court. "How you survived Ultimecia Junctioning onto you. You're quite clever."

"I" Squall rubbed his stomach, which was doing a million somersaults inside him. "I don't even remember it, really."

"You split your power in two. You junctioned your power onto the power I was using to hold you to our world."

Squall looked at Bahamut for a while, his face coming into clearer focus. He looked pleased, but _tired_. "It was hard to see myself. To see Rinoa."

"I imagine it was."

"It must have been hard for you, too. Using all that power. Feeling that my past self summoned you. That my past self summoned Diablos."

"It was an interesting experience, to say the least." Squall was sure there was more that Etanin wanted to say, but didn't press it.

"Tiamat's gone now"

"Yes."

"Did you get to say goodbye to her?"

"I suppose wasn't the farewell I would have wanted, but it was a farewell."

Squall then realized something he probably should have noticed a while ago. It wasn't only that Bahamut was being a good King in checking to see if Squall was okay, but Squall filled some sort of hole in him that Thuban left behind. Etanin saw Squall in a son role, and saw himself as a father figure. Perhaps it was that Squall had once been Bahamut's master, but maybe it was also that Squall came at the right time, so to speak. The time where Thuban was beginning to die, and so near after Daeva had been exiled, at least in their time. "What now?"

"What now?" Etanin repeated. "Now. Now now, I need to rest."

Squall furrowed his brow as Etanin stood up. Squall also rose. "I have the feeling it means more than that."

"Well, no one can accuse you of being a dummy."

"What are you going to do?"

Etanin didn't answer Squall's question, but instead said "there was concern that you wouldn't make it back from Time Compression alive. I'm glad to see that isn't the case."

"Are you going to bring Diablos back?" Squall didn't care in the least about Alexander, much like Bahamut himself. After all, Alexander was the one that had possessed Rinoa and used her and nearly killed her. True, Diablos had been the one that had tried so many times to kill Seifer and Zell, and even Squall himself by default, but he did care about Bahamut, and it was obvious that Bahamut missed Diablos terribly.

"I don't know."

It seemed significant to Squall that Bahamut admitted he didn't know something. Squall sighed, swaying a little.

"You should rest. It's not every day that you have to fight yourself, and split your power in half. You do realize that members of this Court thousands, even millions of years older than you, could not pull that off?"

Squall was the sort of man that rarely blushed, but he was pretty sure he was doing it now. Etanin vanished as Squall lay back on his bed. He transformed himself into his Griever form, the bed magically growing to accommodate his much larger frame. He thought of how young they'd been, of how pretty Rinoa had looked in that old blue duster with the angel wings on the back. He'd been so young, thinking that he was invincible, that he would live forever. They'd all thought that. And, Zell. He'd looked so young, so healthy, so alive. There had been so much possibility there, and he'd fulfilled most of it. He'd become a hero of Garden, and hadn't even let being thrown out keep him down. He'd become a very successful martial arts instructor, known the world over. And, he'd found a man that loved him. 'The man of his dreams'. That was all that anyone could really hope for. Someone that they knew they would love until the day they stopped breathing. He'd thought that would be Rinoa for him, and while he had loved her all his adult life, the woman that made his heart beat had been his beautiful daughter. He felt lucky that he had missed her death, that she'd died without him seeing it. He wouldn't want that pain, the pain that he'd seen in Etanin's eyes. There was not only the pain of his daughter being lost to him forever now, but there was also the pain of having that person taken away from him that made his heart beat. Daeva was his Rinoa. Daeva was his Seifer, his Zell. Daeva was his Ocean. And, Griever knew that he would be coming face to face with Diablos and Alexander very soon.


	17. Epilogue

****

Epilogue

Daeva yawned, flipping through the newspaper from behind the counter of the Winhill Hotel. The flowers thrived and bloomed all around him, even though the winter weather had killed most of the other flowers in town. Winhill had once had a moderate climate, but over the past three millennia, their weather had changed, and now they had very cold winters. People didn't really question how Daeva made the flowers grow, just like they never questions why he was still alive after 3500 years. Today was pretty much like every other day. Daeva never had to worry about disease or death, but he did have to worry about crushing boredom and loneliness. Over the thousands of years, he'd had a few lady friends, but they all died, while he didn't change at all. He didn't like getting attached to them, because he would have to see them die. He hadn't really had any boyfriends. There was something that made him prevent finding a male companion for more than just a one-night stand, which he'd had a few of. A memory of a man. He couldn't remember this man's name, or how Daeva knew him, but he knew this man really meant something special to him, that their love was different than any emotion that he'd ever experienced, and somehow it felt like it would be cheating if he found a male lover, even though he couldn't remember this man's name.

There was a lot about himself that Daeva couldn't remember. Like his family, or why he was living for so long. People assumed he was a Witch, mostly because of his pointed ears, or they thought he'd been kissed by the gift of Sanviar. Sanviar was the name of a god that a church in Trabia worshipped. A priest named Alexander gave sermons on how Sanviar had given him eternal life, and anyone could achieve this if they walked the same saintly path that he did. Daeva thought that was all a bunch of bullshit, and didn't trust Father Alexander as far as he could throw him. He wasn't sure why he hated the priest so much. He seemed mostly harmless, but still. And, besides: Daeva thought that Alexander was just using the fall of Esthar and Time Compression to take advantage of people's sorrow and fear.

Esthar had fallen just before Time Compression, when Ultimecia had finally defeated Kikimora, the ruling Witch at the time, after a long and brutal Sorceress War. Then, after millions of people had died, Time Compression had happened. Nobody could remember what happened during Time Compression, and a few people had just vanished afterwards. Things were starting to get back to normal, which meant more boredom for Daeva. He'd run the Winhill Hotel for as long as anyone could remember, but it was pretty slow since it was past tourist season. He was currently sipping some tea as he read the local news, yawning out of both boredom and because it was cold.

Daeva looked up from a story about the Winhill Council giving subsidies to cattle farmers when he heard the bell on the door chime. A dark-haired man came in, casually looking around. Daeva looked back at his newspaper, but a headache started to grow behind his eyes. Images started to flash in his memory, as if he were watching a movie. Except this movie was about _him_. Things that had happened to him that he'd forgotten. Things he'd thought were dreams. That the reason he lived forever was because he was really the Dark Messenger, that he'd once been a member of the Necrophage, that he'd been betrayed by his King and burned at the stake, that he'd become Diablos, that this man was Etanin Alwaid standing before him. The man that he'd been remembering, the man he'd been dreaming of but couldn't remember his name.

__

Vhax dulla xrael'da kui, Etanin murmured, standing at the counter, only that slab of wood separating them. He said that phrase that nearly broke Daeva's heart right there. _You look very pretty today._

It had been _so_ very long since someone had spoken fey language to him. Daeva couldn't reply because he couldn't find his voice. So many memories were crashing down on him that it made him dizzy, that he was panting and struggling for breath.

"You always could make the flowers bloom."

"Eta.?" He let out a long breath, finally finding oxygen.

"Have you learned your lesson?"

A tear trickled out of one of Daeva's black and blue eyes. He came out from behind the counter, having to keep his hands on it so he wouldn't swoon. He stopped in front of Etanin, and reached out to touch the side of his face, but stopped, his fingers hovering mid-air. It was Etanin that made the first contact between them for 3500 long years. It had been about that long when Diablos had been locked in the lamp, but at least his powers had still been part of the Court, and at least they'd been able to talk through telepathic connections. Daeva gasped when he was enveloped in Etanin's strong arms. He could now remember everything, but this feeling in his heart wasn't a memory, because he'd never felt it before. He'd never loved someone before he'd become Diablos, and Diablos couldn't feel the true nuances of human feelings because he wasn't human. But, Daeva was human again, so he was feeling his feelings for Etanin like it was the first time, and it hurt. He could barely breathe because Etanin was holding him so tightly, but he didn't care. He welcomed it, and he held Etanin back just as tightly.

"Have you come to take me home?" Daeva asked, whispering in Etanin's ear.

"Not just yet," Etanin whispered back.

"Not just yet?" Daeva repeated, pulling back and looking into Etanin's dark eyes. His euphoria was lessened a little bit. "What do you mean, Eta?"

"Soon." Etanin stroked a few stray strands of hair off Daeva's elegant forehead. "But, not yet."

"Why not?" Daeva demanded angrily, pulling away and putting his hands on his hips. "I want to go home, Bahamut. I want you to make me Diablos again. Now."

Etanin put his hands on Daeva's broad shoulders. Those shoulders that he found so attractive, even though they'd been a curse to Daeva in comparison to what was considered beautiful by the fey. Muscles, broad shoulders and ripped six-packs were considered ugly, uncouth. Human. Any human man would kill to have a body like the one Daeva had without even trying to maintain it, and yet it was something he'd been taught to despise about himself. "Because I'm taking a holiday."

"What?" Daeva was frowning deeply at his King. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Daeva. I just lost my daughter. I am _exhausted_, and I miss you."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Daeva asked, though his tone was less angry.

"We've been with each other in a lot of ways, Daeva. But, never as two men, as two humans. And I'm tired. I want to be away from the Court. I don't want to have to worry about it just now."

Daeva could see the haunted look in Etanin's eyes. Haunted from losing Thuban. Daeva very well knew that Etanin's feelings about his daughter were complex, and that he would miss his daughter more than anyone would realize. He couldn't help but be flattered. "But you're not human, Eta."

Etanin pulled the neck of his red shirt back to reveal a thin chain hanging around his throat, with three small gems on it that seemed like they were lit from the inside. A brilliant white one and a shimmering indigo one, with a glowing blue one in the center. The three small orbs hung in the hollow of his collarbone. "I am now. At least for a little while. I meant it when I said I wanted to be away from the Court for a while."

Daeva furrowed his brow. "But."

"I still have a few tricks up my sleeve," he pointed out, knowing what Daeva was going to say. "I can change myself back with a single word. And, I cannot lose my memory, either. You've waited this long. What's a little while longer, Berith?"

Daeva's hands were still on his hips, and he looked at Etanin sceptically for a while, then he was the one who started an embrace, his arms tight around Etanin. Then their lips found each other, and both made desperate little moaning noises. Etanin had kissed people, and remembered kissing them, but didn't remember it ever feeling like this. It had been a very long time since he'd felt emotions this concentrated. Their hands stroked all over each other, even clawing at each other. They licked each other, and filled each other's mouths with their tongues, the kiss one that was for a much more private area than a hotel lobby. They were whispering each other's names as best they could while still deeply kissing, then they were hugging tightly, both panting.

"But, you're really going to take me home, right? You promise? You're not just teasing me?"

"I'm not just teasing you."

"Eta.?" Daeva asked after some pleasant silence.

"Yes?"

"Can you promise me something?"

"What?" Etanin asked, holding Daeva even tighter.

"Never, _ever_ call me Berith again."

Etanin looked in Daeva's eyes, and kissed him in response, tasting his soft, sensual lips. "I promise."

Daeva smiled a very genuine smile, kissing the side of Etanin's handsome face.

"It hasn't been the same without you," Etanin whispered.

"Aria not up to the task?" Daeva asked playfully. He then cocked his head. "What about Alexander.?" Daeva had never liked Father Alexander, and now he remembered why.

"I came to see you first."

Daeva smirked. "And what about your little kitty?"

"He's already become extremely powerful."

Daeva chuckled, running his hands firmly down Etanin's back. "I think you like him."

"I'm quite impressed with him."

"Should I be jealous?"

Etanin rolled his eyes. "I'm proud of him. But, I don't want to talk about Squall right now."

"What would you like to, uh talk about?" Daeva asked, pulling away and laughing. He sauntered across the room and locked the front doors.

"Locking a hotel?" Etanin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What do I care? Besides, there's nobody here anyway." He chuckled, walking back over to Etanin. "So, when was the last time you fucked a human?" Daeva lived in a suite in the sleepy hotel, but they didn't make it upstairs. They were tearing at each other's clothing, winding up in a tangled heap on the floor, Daeva's hair spread out around him like a pool of silky blackness. Their clothes wound up scattered on the ground all around them, hands searching each other's bared skin. Their kisses became less animalistic and more sensual as their limbs twined and their bodies rubbed together. Etanin's weight settled down on Daeva, and he ran his fingers through Daeva's long hair, breathing in its exotic scent. Daeva gasped, back arching off the floor, when Etanin's fingers dipped into his body. He tried to find something to grip onto, eventually finding Etanin's shoulders. He felt a bit like an idiot teenager, where even the simplest sexual touch was sending him to the moon. He could also hear that Etanin was panting, so it was probably the same thing with him. 3 million years of not feeling the intense feeling of human sexuality, and then feeling it so suddenly again took its toll.

Etanin crawled off Daeva, both of them moving so that he was spooning Daeva on the floor. He kissed the back of Daeva's neck, whispering his name, saying things in his own human language that he'd forgotten he could even say. He ran his hand down Daeva's inner thigh slowly, savouring the smooth feeling of his soft, soft skin. Faeries didn't have body hair, so all of Daeva's skin was satiny smooth. "Eta" Daeva whispered, head lolling back against Etanin's shoulder as he was slowly entered, their bodies becoming one, Etanin's chest moulding to Daeva's back. "Di lav'xia vae." Daeva murmured dreamily as he and Etanin's bodies moved together like music, like languid waves of a calm sea. What Daeva had whispered as the fingers on the hand pinned under his body tangled with Etanin's fingers was 'I love you'. It made Etanin make a noise that he couldn't recall ever making, not even in all the other times he'd been with Daeva. It was almost a noise of torture, because he didn't think that he could hold in all he was feeling. God, how did humans exist without exploding?

If there had been anyone in the hotel, they would have come down to investigate the commotion that Etanin and Daeva were making. Both were moaning in ways they hadn't moaned for a very, very long time. Even Daeva's encounters over the years of his second existence with women and men hadn't wrenched moans like this from him. Maybe because he hadn't loved any of them, and he _loved_ Etanin. Loved him like a subject loves their King, loved him like people love people with power, and loved him like a man loves that one special someone. Etanin looked down at Daeva's face as their hips moved together, as he felt Daeva from within. "You're so beautiful," Etanin whispered in his old, human language. He kissed Daeva's earlobe, then his cheek, his fingers moving up Daeva's chest, feeling his muscles, running his fingertips over and over Daeva's nipples, burying his face in that luxurious hair. He also felt like a teenager, no stamina, no lasting power. How could he last when he almost wanted it over because his body was on fire with his lust. It just felt too good to be thrusting into Daeva, to hear the sounds Daeva was making. When Daeva came all around him, he came too. Etanin let out a sob, biting into Daeva's shoulder and holding him as tightly as he could.

"Hmmmm" Daeva mused, still panting. "I guess not going home yet is worth it for _that_." His chuckle was broken up by his panting. He melted against Etanin, loving how tightly he was being held, loving how genuine Etanin sounded when he said Daeva was beautiful. He'd been told that before, but it always seemed fake because the person wanted something, or because of Daeva's glamour magic. For his first human life, Daeva had been brought to believe he was hideously ugly, so very unattractive when held to the standards of fey beauty. And, humans had loved his pretty face, so blinded by his glamour, and yet been afraid of him, never really fiercely meaning it when they said he was beautiful. And, Ronouve-Sempra had definitely not made him feel beautiful when he was tying Daeva to the stake. But, Eta meant it. And, he gained nothing from saying it. He rolled over so he was on his back, looking into Etanin's black eyes.

"What do you do for amusement around here?" Etanin asked, looking around.

"Besides fucking anyone who comes through the door?" Daeva asked with his trademark laugh. "Not much." He then became serious. "You asked me earlier if I'd learned my lesson, Eta. Do you mean the obvious lesson, the one that I would have _never_ learned, the one that was _impossible_ to learn? Or, do you mean the more hidden lesson?"

"Which do you think I meant?"

"The obvious lesson was not meddling, and being a good little demon. A lesson you know I would fail miserably at. The hidden lesson? Appreciation for those human lives that I'd so meddled in. I've been a human now for over 3000 years, Eta. That's _much_ longer than my human existence before I became Diablos."

"Did you?" Etanin asked with curiosity.

"How could I have not? Especially when you just made me feel things I'd never felt, either as Diablos _or_ Daeva."

"And, how is that?" Etanin whispered.

"Like a man."

Etanin stroked down Daeva's spine, watching as the half-fey stood up. Etanin admired Daeva's body for a while before also standing. "What now?"

Daeva winked. "Well, we could always go up to my rooms and add a couple hours to our time, eh?" But, they didn't make it upstairs. They only made it halfway up the stairs before the fell into another deep embrace, revelling in each other, savouring every caress that were thousands of years in the making. Millions of years in the making.

Just over two months later, both Etanin and Daeva were in Trabia, walking into the Church of Sanviar during a sermon by the famous Father Alexander. Actually, it was just Etanin walking into the church.

"I think it best you stay here," he'd instructed of Daeva when they'd been walking up the street towards the church.

"What, you don't trust me?"

"I know you too well, Daeva."

"Okay, I'll be a good boy and stay here."

"Good." Etanin had said, leaning over and planting a slow kiss on Daeva's mouth.

Now, he was quietly walking up the aisle, as if he were a regular man, wanting to come hear the miraculous priest speak of Sanviar's gifts. He chose a seat in the pews in the front, so Alexander would get a _very_ good look at his face.

"It is the evils of black magic that made these horrors happened. The greed and lawlessness that this magic can bring. It is a seductress, and it seduced Kikimora and Ultimecia, and turned them into monsters. I have seen many monsters twisted by this evil magic. I do not wish it for any of you. Please" Alexander smiled at the congregation that was looking up at him with smiling, rapt faces. "Don't let yourselves be led down this path of wanton, carnal lust for power and things sensual. One must be steadfast to be strong. I'm not going to say it's easy, because that would be a lie. Being as chaste and as strong as Sanviar takes work. _That_ is no lie. Would I lie to you?" Alexander laughed with a chuckle. Some of the congregation chuckled, and Alexander's smile faltered when his eyes scanned the faces in the church, and came across one that brought a stabbing pain behind his eyes.

He gripped the sides of the pulpit and almost swooned, but collected himself, feeling all those eyes on him. He let out a pant, gasping as if he was drowning. Etanin's dark eyes remained on him, fathomless.

"Father Alexander!" A woman in the pew behind Etanin exclaimed.

He held up a hand. "I am fine. Do not worry. Just a momentary lapse. I am well. Just, remember what I have said, and go in peace." He gestured to all the congregation with a benevolent smile. They all began to file out, some of them stopping to speak to Alexander. All got out of the pews, except Etanin Alwaid. All were leaving the church, except for one who was coming back in. Daeva Aka-Manah.

"Nice to see you again, Alexander."

Alexander fell to his knees, looking at his King. "My Lord?"

"Are you ready to come home, or do you want to give one last false sermon?" Etanin chuckled to himself. "Sanviar was keeping you alive this long? That's quite the good little story."

"I couldn't remember you."

"Oh, I know." Etanin looked over his shoulder, seeing Daeva, who was just leaning against a pew, not saying anything. "I thought I said wait outside." Though, Etanin couldn't really stay mad with Daeva, not when he still felt all these wonderful human feelings about Daeva right then.

Daeva shrugged. "It was getting cold. Besides, I'm not saying anything." He looked at the golden-haired priest for a long time. "Alexander."

Alexander just stared at Daeva, like he was the most despicable creature that ever existed. Etanin snapped the chain off his neck that held those three glimmering orbs. He whispered 'Wavhuzerrl', which in his human language, meant dragon. The blue orb in the center became clear and empty and dull, and he was his true self once more. Part of him actually mourned this, because he'd quite enjoyed those human feelings he'd felt with Daeva. The two other orbs also cleared and dulled, and Daeva and Alexander also both returned to their true selves.

Etanin stared at them both, not having to say any words of warning, because the look on his face was warning enough. He vanished, leaving both of them to their own devices, but knowing that he'd see Daeva very soon.

Daeva and Alexander just glared at each other, but Daeva didn't want to waste this feeling of his power back in his veins. He vanished from Alexander's church of lies, wanting to fly again, to feel the wind around him, to feel his wings on his back, to feel the magic flowing through him again, after so long of being like a dry well. When Alexander's church turned into the skies of his own world, Diablos knew that he was home, and that while very soon he knew he would be back up to his old tricks and habits, Bahamut's lesson had been one that he would never really forget. He'd felt a bit like an orphan, being dropped off at a strange place to live without your family, waiting for someone to bring him home, to create a new family with him. And, when that sort of thing does happen to an orphan, when someone comes along and finds them and wants to love them and bring them home, they do get to go home, yet they never forget what happened at the orphanage, and it's something that always sticks with them, and moulds things they do later in life. At first, when Bahamut had stripped his and Alexander's powers away, Daeva had thought that it was simply an awful punishment for disobeying his King's orders, but as time had gone on, he'd seen the hidden layers of the banishment, and what Bahamut had _really_ wanted him to see, and how eerily parallel it had been to the beginnings of Seifer Almasy and Zell Dincht, the reasons that he'd been caught up in this whole situation in the first place. True, Daeva wasn't sent to a concrete, real orphanage, but it was more of a metaphorical parallel, and the irony of the whole thing wasn't lost on him. And, he knew Etanin would be very disappointed if it had been.

****

The End.

Coming soon -

As Heaven Is Wide (Dark Messenger)

Shot To Pieces (Mega Flare)


End file.
